Dumbledore's Army: Still Recruiting
by alb925
Summary: Sequel to Two Birds of a Feather. Takes place during HBP and DH. Luna and Neville have been dating a year, but can their relationship survive the second wizarding war?
1. Chapter 1

_"I don't know why you say goodbye, I say hello." _-**Hello Goodbye (The Beatles)**

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><p>I calmly stood by my dad next to the bright red train on platform 9 ¾. I was supposed to be meeting Neville here, and instead of craning my neck to look for him, like most people might have done, I just stood there and turned my head from side to side, watching people walk by.<p>

"Any sight of him?" my father asked.

"No, not yet," I answered. I was actually quite enjoying myself as I waited for Neville. It was giving me the opportunity to people watch. I've always thought just watching people was interesting. Everyone is so different from each other and it's fun and interesting to watch.

I was snapped out of my thoughts by someone calling my name. I turned my head and saw Neville fighting his way through a crowd of people going the other way. Trevor the toad was clutched under one arm and the handle to his trunk was grasped in his other hand.

"Neville!" I exclaimed, turning fully towards him and hugging him when he reached me. He gladly returned it and I buried my nose into his sweater. I had really missed him.

"It's so good to see—oh, hang on." Neville broke off he hug and gave me a reluctant smile as he stepped past me and made a lunge for Trevor.

"You should keep a better hold on that thing," my father said when Neville returned. "If not, he could get snatched up by a Crumple Horned Snorkack. They like to eat frogs sometimes, you know."

"Well, this is a toad. Slightly different," Neville said, holding Trevor up. "But that does remind me, how was your trip to Sweden? Did you find anything interesting?"

"We were specifically looking for the Snorkack," dad said, smiling at Neville. His smile faded, however. "We didn't find any, though, no."

"That's too bad."

"I still took lots of pictures. I'll be glad to show you them on the train, or whenever you feel like looking at them, really."

"I'd love that," Neville said. He grinned and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, kissing my temple. Neville and I had been dating since last December. I couldn't believe it had almost been a full year already. Time had really flown by. It was funny like that. Time, I mean.

"Where's your grandmother?" I asked.

"She should be coming," Neville answered, looking over his shoulder. Sure enough, his grandmother was slowly coming towards them, carrying her typical red handbag.

"Good, you've found them," she said to Neville when she reached us.

"Hello," I said politely, "it's good to see you again."

"It's good to see you again as well," she said with a slight nod. She shook my dad's hand and was about to start up a conversation when the train's whistle blew.

"Well, it looks like it's time for you to go," my father said, giving me a hug and shaking Neville's hand.

"I'll see you soon," I said to dad. I gave Neville's grandmother a wave before turning towards the train with Neville at my side.

"Want me to take your trunk for you?" Neville asked, holding out his hand.

"No, that's alright," I said. "I can manage. Besides, weren't you just holding Trevor in that hand?"

"Oh," Neville said, his eyes widening as he raised his hand in front of his face. He dropped his trunk and turned in a circle. "Where did he get to?"

Someone cleared their throat behind us. When we turned, we saw Neville's grandmother holding Trevor in an outstretched hand. "How many times do I have to tell you not to lose him?" she asked.

"Sorry, Gran," Neville said quietly, taking the toad from her.

"Go on, now," she said, shooing us towards the train. "You don't want to miss the train because of that bloody toad."

With one last wave, Neville hopped onto the train. I followed him, dragging my trunk behind me. "Where do you want to sit?" I asked.

"Wherever there's a free compartment. If there is one," he added.

"Look," I said, gesturing with my free hand. "There's Harry. It looks like he hasn't found a compartment either."

"Let's go say hi," Neville suggested. He walked up to Harry and stood beside him. "Hi, Harry!"

"Neville," Harry answered, sounding relieved.

"Hello, Harry," I said.

"Luna, hi, how are you?"

"Very well, thank you," I answered.

"Quibbler still going strong, then?" Harry asked, noticing the magazine sticking out of the bag draped over my shoulder.

"Oh, yes, it's doing very well," I answered with a smile. "Are you looking for a place to sit?"

"Yeah," Harry answered. "Ron and Hermione have prefect duty, and Ginny…"

"Off with Dean?" I asked. Harry nodded.

"Well, let's go find seats together, then," Neville suggested. Harry agreed and he led the way through the train. As we walked, I noticed many people turning to stare at us, and not just Harry, either. They were staring at me and Neville as well.

"They're even staring at _us_!" Neville exclaimed, gesturing to me and then to himself, "because we're with you!"

"They're staring at you because you were at the Ministry too," Harry corrected as he found a compartment and began lifting his trunk onto one of the overhead racks. Neville and I did the same before sitting down. I took a seat by the window, as usual.

"What happened at the Ministry was all over the paper," Harry was saying. "You must have seen it."

"Yes, I thought Gran would be angry about all the publicity," Neville said, sitting next to me and placing Trevor on his lap tentatively as if testing him to see if he would escape. He didn't, so Neville looked up again. "She was actually really pleased, though. She said I'm starting to live up to my dad at last. She even bought me a new wand, look!" He held it up and showed it to us.

"That's lovely," I said. "Very nice."

"Cherry and unicorn hair," he said proudly. "We think it was one of the last Ollivander ever sold. He vanished the next day. Oi, come back here, Trevor!" He dropped his wand and dived under the seat to catch his always escaping toad.

"Are we still doing D.A. meetings this year, Harry?" I asked, raising my gaze from Neville to Harry, who was sitting across from me and watching Neville as well. I began pulling a pair of Spectrespecs from the Quibbler as I waited for him to answer.

"No point now that Umbridge is gone, is there?" Harry asked.

Neville quickly pulled his head out from under his seat. "I liked the D.A! I learned loads with you!"

"I enjoyed the meetings too," I said. "It was like having friends."

"What do you mean it was _like_ having friends?" Harry asked, blinking. "We _are_ your friends."

"And boyfriend," Neville added, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

"I know that," I said, "but going to the meetings was something we could do together."

Before anyone could answer, there was a noise outside the compartment door. There were a group of girls outside who were in the year below me. I didn't really know them that well, but I did recognize them from school.

"You ask him!" one whispered.

"No, you!" hissed another.

"I'll do it!"

One of them, a girl with long, dark hair shoved her way into the compartment. "Hi, Harry, I'm Romilda Vane. Why don't you join us in our compartment? You don't have to sit with _them_." She looked over at me, and then at Neville, who was still searching for Trevor under the seat.

I looked at her through my Spectrespecs and almost smiled. Unless I was mistaken, I could sense a Wrakspurt flying around her head.

"They're friends of mine," Harry said in a tone of annoyance.

"Oh," said the Romilda girl. "Okay." With that, she left the compartment, shutting the door a little too forcefully.

"People expect you to have cooler friends than us," I said honestly.

"You are cool," Harry answered. "None of them came with me to the Ministry. They didn't fight with me."

"It's very nice of you to say that," I said, beaming. I wasn't used to getting a lot of compliments.

"We didn't face _him_, though, said Neville, emerging from under the seat with pieces of lint in his hair and Trevor in his hand. "You did. You should hear my Gran talk about you. She says 'that Harry Potter's got more backbone than the whole Ministry of Magic put together!' She'd give anything to have you as a grandson."

"No, I'm sure she's very proud of you," I told him, leaning forward and pulling some lint out of his hair. "Actually, I'm positive she is. Didn't you just say she told you she was pleased with you?"

"Yeah, but it's just one small thing," Neville said dejectedly.

"Maybe to you," I said.

Harry changed the subject to the OWL results that he and Neville had received over the summer. Neville had already written to me to tell me about them and I hadn't taken mine yet, so I went back to my magazine while they talked.

"Wish the lunch trolley would hurry up," a voice said. I looked up to see Ron and Hermione entering the compartment. "Hi Neville, hi Luna," Ron added.

"Hello," I said, giving a small wave.

"What are those?" Hermione asked, gesturing to the Spectrespecs.

I told her and offered her a Quibbler, which came with a free pair, but she declined. I simply shrugged and sat back in my seat.

Ron began to tell Harry something about Draco Malfoy not doing his prefect duties, but I tuned them out again until someone else came into the compartment. A girl who looked to be around her third year stepped inside.

"I'm supposed to deliver these to Neville Longbottom and Harry Potter," she said. I looked up to see the girl holding out two rolls of parchment tied with purple ribbon.

"What is it?" Neville asked. The girl shrugged and ran out the door.

"Well, open them," Ron urged.

"It's an invitation," Neville said as he opened the parchment and read from it. He looked confused, so I slid closer to him and read over his shoulder.

"A lunch invitation, how lovely," I said.

"Who's Professor Slughorn?" Neville asked, looking up.

"New teacher," Harry answered. "Well, I suppose we'll have to go, won't we?"

"But why me?" Neville asked. He didn't look as if he especially wanted to go.

"Don't ask me," Harry shrugged, standing up.

Neville looked over at me. "Go," I said, smiling at him.

"I wish you were invited too," he said, standing up and heading for the door.

I shrugged. "It's okay. I don't mind not getting invited, but you go and have fun."

"I'm sure it won't be a single bit of fun," Neville said, shooting me one last smile before disappearing out of sight.

I looked around at Ron and Hermione, still smiling. They were looking back at me, so I widened my smile a little before going back to reading the Quibbler.

"So, you and Neville are still together?" Ron asked.

I looked up to see him and Hermione still watching me. "Yes, it'll be a year in December." I was quite pleased about that fact and I smiled as I said the words.

"That's great," Hermione said.

"Harry says we're not going to continue D.A. meetings this year," I said in an attempt to keep conversation going.

"Well, I guess that makes sense," Hermione said.

"I did like the meetings, though," I said.

"Yeah, they were something, weren't they?" Ron agreed. There was a small pause. "I wonder what that new teacher wants with Harry and Neville?"

"No idea," Hermione answered, shaking her head.

I shrugged and went back to the Quibbler once again. I had about as much of an idea as they did, and I was quite curious, but all I could do was wait for Neville to come back.

"You're back," Ron said about an hour later as the compartment door slid open. It was just Neville. Harry wasn't with him.

"How was lunch with the new professor?" I asked as he sat down. I set the Quibbler in my lap and gazed up at him.

"Odd," Neville answered, sliding the Spectrespecs off of my eyes. "Sorry, I can just see your eyes better now."

"They're blue," I told him.

"I know," he whispered.

"Why was it odd?" Ron asked, interrupting a very lovely moment that was surely about to turn into a very lovely kiss. It was no matter, though. There would be plenty of other moments like that. At least, I hoped so.

"There was a bunch of other people in there," Neville said. "Ginny was there, and a few Slytherins and another Gryffindor named Cormac McLaggen."

"Ginny?" Ron asked, scrunching up his nose. "What did he want with her? What did he want with any of you?"

"It seemed like most of the people there were famous or had famous relatives," Neville said.

"But Ginny's not famous and we don't have any famous relatives," Ron said.

"Slughorn saw her perform a Bat Bogey Hex on Zacharias Smith and he thought it was impressive."

"She was always good at those," Ron said. The train was coming to a stop and Ron stood up to start getting his luggage down.

"Anyway, I'm not famous or related to anyone famous either. At least not someone _technically_ famous. My parents were just well known Aurors. He spent ten minutes asking me questions about them and about myself."

"That sounds uncomfortable," I said.

"It was," Neville agreed.

"He should have been more considerate."

"I don't mind that he asked. He was just curious, but it was rather uncomfortable."

"Is Harry still there?" Hermione asked.

"No," Neville said, looking around. "I thought he was ahead of me."

"Well, he's not here," Hermione responded. "Maybe we should wait for him."

"He's probably gone on ahead, Hermione," Ron said.

I frowned and stuck my Spectrespecs over my eyes again. I wondered if the Wrackspurt I had sensed earlier had gotten Harry. It seemed unlikely to me that he would have just gone on ahead. If the Wrackspurt _had_ gotten him, he would be around the train somewhere, staring into space absentmindedly.

"You guys go ahead," I said. "I want to try and find the Wrackspurt I sensed earlier."

"I'll stay with you," Neville said.

"If you want to, but I really won't be long."

"No, I'll stay," he insisted, taking my hand. "I'd like to actually see if you can find this Wrackspurt."

"Okay," I agreed. I waved to Hermione and Ron. "See you two later."

They waved goodbye and headed off the train while I led Neville in the opposite direction. We reached the opposite end of the train and I opened the door to the last compartment.

"Do you see anything?" Neville asked.

"There are a whole bunch of Wrackspurts in here. They're all gathering around that one area on the floor." I pointed to where the Spectrespecs were showing me the location of the Wrackspurts. Just then, we heard a small noise come from that area. "Did you hear that?" I asked.

"Do Wrackspurts make sound?" Neville asked, sounding nervous.

"No," I answered.

Neville tentatively held out his wand and glanced at me.

"Go ahead, Neville," I said. "I think there's something there. You see, Wrackspurts are drawn to human brains so that they can do their job and make the brains go fuzzy."

Neville moved his wand and with a whooshing noise, Harry appeared, his invisibility cloak flying across the compartment. Neville probably jumped about a mile, but I smiled.

"Luna, Neville," Harry said, standing up.

"Hello, Harry," I answered. "What were you doing down there under your invisibility cloak? Were you trying to attract Wrackspurts."

"No, I—how did you find me?"

"The Wrackspurts," I answered. Your head's full of them. That and the fact that you were lying here invisible is why I thought you were trying to attract them on purpose."

"Why is your nose broken?" Neville asked.

"Long story," Harry answered, picking up his cloak. "I have to go grab my trunk and then we can head up to the castle." He brushed past us towards the compartment we had been sitting in earlier.

"I wonder what happened to him," Neville whispered in my ear as we followed Harry.

"Yes, I have to wonder about his nose. That was definitely not a Wrackspurt."

"More like a fist," Neville answered.

"Or another very strong object," I added. Neville laughed, which made me smile. It was so good to be back at school again. "Feed the thestrals with me on Saturday?" I whispered.

"I was wondering when you were going to ask me that," Neville smirked. Checking to make sure Harry wasn't looking he leaned down and gave me a kiss. He pulled away a little bit and reached up to take off my Spectrespecs. "Okay, as interesting as these are, you're going to need to take them off again. They're kind of frightening close up. You know, like the kissing kind of close up."

"I figured that's what you meant." I gave him another kiss before turning back to Harry, who was dragging his trunk out of the compartment.

"You know, Harry," Neville said as we headed back to the castle, "why is it that you're always covered in blood?"

"Bad luck, I guess," Harry answered.

"It comes in handy if you want to attract certain creatures," I said, "like vampires-,"

"No," Harry said.

"Thestrals-,"

"Only when I need to get to the Ministry on short notice," Harry said with a wry smile.

"And Blibbering Humdingers," I finished.

"Never heard of them, but I don't really want anything blubbering-,"

"Blibbering," I corrected.

"Okay," Harry said. He stopped at the spot where the carriages usually took us up to the school. There were none in sight.

"Looks like we've missed them," I said.

"I figured we would," Neville sighed.

"Looks like we're going to have to walk," Harry shrugged. "Come on, if we hurry we can make it before dinner starts."

"As long as we're in time for pudding," I said. Neville laughed and threw his arm around me as we followed Harry up the path to Hogwarts.

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><p><strong>AN: This is a sequel to my Luna/Neville story, _Two Birds of a Feather_. It's going to take place during Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows. I hope everyone likes the first chapter and d****on't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think! **


	2. Chapter 2

_"I'd rather be anything but ordinary."_ **-Avril Lavigne (Anything But Ordinary)**

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><p>"Sorry I made you two miss the carriages," Harry said as we reached the school.<p>

"It's quite alright," I said. "It was like being with friends."

"Luna," Neville said, half laughing.

"I _was_ with friends," I corrected myself, "and my boyfriend." I squeezed Neville's hand and smiled up at him. It might sound odd, but even after a year, sometimes I still felt as if I weren't quite used to having friends and a boyfriend. I had never really had friends before; I had never had anyone actually want to be around me, besides my dad of course. "Harry, do you want me to fix your nose?" I asked.

"Er, well have you ever done it before?" he asked.

"No, but I've done quite a few toes and I expect it's the same thing."

"Okay, well go ahead, give it a go," Harry said.

I held up my wand and performed the spell to fix it. With a crack, Harry's nose snapped back into place. He let out a yelp of pain before lightly touching his nose and bringing his hand away again. "Well, how do I look?"

"Exceptionally ordinary," I said.

"Brilliant," Harry said, nodding.

"I've been looking all over for you three," Professor Flitwick squeaked, coming over to us as we reached the castle gates. "Hurry on up to the castle at once."

We did as he said and hurried up the front lawn and through the castle doors. I let go of Neville's hand reluctantly as I headed to the Ravenclaw table. I rather enjoyed being in Ravenclaw and I do feel as if it's the house I belong in, but the one thing I didn't like was having to be separated from Neville during times when everyone had to stay with their own house.

I listened to Professor Dumbledore make his opening speech and introduce Professor Slughorn, the man that had invited Neville and Harry to lunch, as the new Potions teacher and Professor Snape as the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher.

I was well aware that Snape had always wanted the Defense Against the Dark Arts job, but I didn't have the same shocked reaction as everyone else in the great hall. I had always thought Snape would get the job eventually. At least it would be interesting to see if he actually kept the position or if something would happen to change that, since none of our Defense teachers had lasted longer than a year.

Finally, after the usual reminders of banned items and off limit areas, Dumbledore sat down and the food appeared in the middle of the table. I glanced up to look at Neville, who was already looking at me. We smiled at each other and kept eating. We had come up with a plan to sit on benches at our house tables so that we were facing each other. That way, we could each see each other while we were eating. Sometimes we had to peer around the heads of the people sitting across from us, which may have looked quite odd, but we didn't mind. I imagine most people knew what we were doing anyway.

When dinner was over, I caught up to Neville at once. "I'll walk you back to your dorm," he said.

"Okay," I answered. "I'd like that very much."

Once Neville had figured out the Gryffindor common room password, we walked hand in hand a little bit behind the rest of the Ravenclaws. As much as I loved being around Neville, I was actually excited to see Ravenclaw tower again. I had always thought it was one of the most beautiful places in Hogwarts for many reasons. For one thing, it was one of the tallest towers, so no matter what window you looked out of, you had a wonderful view. Secondly, the ceiling was made to look like the night sky, glittering with stars. The ceiling was like that even in the actual dorms and not just the common room, which I thought was lovely. There was a huge fireplace, lots of bookshelves, and a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw.

"Well, I guess this is as far as I can go," Neville said as we reached the very end of the crowd waiting to get up the staircase to our common room door.

"Shh," I said. "If we listen, maybe we'll be able to hear what the riddle is."

"What riddle?"

"To get in, we need to answer a riddle. If we get it wrong, we have to wait outside for someone to get it right."

"That sounds difficult," Neville said. "I have a bad enough time remembering passwords, but at least with those, I can just find them out from someone. Anyway, won't someone up in front answer it? Surely one of them will know the answer so there really isn't a reason for us to hear it."

"I want to hear the riddle just because I like to see if I can answer it. Even if someone else gets to answer to unlock the door, I like to answer it just for me. I find every answer to be interesting and worth knowing."

"I see," Neville said.

As we both listened, we could faintly hear the eagle doorknocker speaking. "At night they come without being fetched. By day they are lost without being stolen. What are they?"

"What do you think, Neville?" I asked.

"I don't know, what do you think?"

I smiled. "I think you want to hear my answer first."

"I think you're right," he smiled back. When he realized I was still waiting for his answer, he took a deep breath and let it out. "I don't know. I'm no good at riddles."

"Well, what comes out at night, but hides in the daytime only to come out at night again?"

"I don't know. Nocturnal animals?" Neville asked. "Does it want specifics? Raccoons, skunks, owls?"

I giggled. "That's not a bad guess, but I don't think that's the answer it was looking for."

"Well, what's the answer then?" Neville asked as we heard the door clicking open just up the stairs. Someone had gotten the answer right.

"The stars, I believe," I said.

"Oh," he answered, blinking a few times as if he should have known. "That's obvious."

"Your answer was good too," I said, squeezing his hand.

"But it was wrong. If I was a Ravenclaw, I'd be stuck out here all night."

"You still remember the password to get into your own common room, don't you?" I asked as the crowd around us thinned. I'd have to hurry to be able to get inside the common room before the last person went inside and shut the door. Otherwise, I'd have to answer another riddle. Not that I minded, though.

"Of course I do," Neville answered. "Do you doubt me that much?"

"No, you know that I have a lot of faith in you."

"I know. A lot more than others, actually."

I smiled. "That's very nice of you to say. I wish I didn't have to say this, but I have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow, though."

"I look forward to it," Neville said, kissing my hand, then my lips.

"So do I," I sighed.

"Good," he whispered. "Now, hurry before you have to answer another riddle."

"If I do, at least it'll be good for my brain."

"Go," Neville said with a laugh, shooing me up the stairs. "I'll see you tomorrow."

I smiled and waved as I practically skipped up the stairs. The sooner I went to bed, the sooner I could wake up and see Neville again.

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><p><strong>AN: I know this chapter is kind of short and uneventful, but I promise that things will be picking up soon. Thanks for all of the reviews so far! Keep it up :)**


	3. Chapter 3

_"I think you're crazy, just like me." -**Gnarls Barkley (Crazy)**_

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><p>"You seem happy today," Neville commented as we walked down to the forest. "I mean, you're always happy, but today you seem extra happy."<p>

"Well, we are going to see the thestrals," I said. "I didn't get to see them when we got here last week since we missed the carriages. It's okay though, because they're always here whenever I want to see them."

"Luna, do you ever mind that I come to feed them with you?" Neville asked nervously.

"No, not at all," I said. "You're actually one of the only people who _want_ to come feed them with me. Not that I've asked anyone else, of course, but I can imagine they wouldn't want to."

"I like feeding them," Neville said.

"I'm glad," I told him as I took a seat on a rock once we reached the thestrals. "I like it, too." One of the thestrals immediately came over to me and I patted it on the nose as I fed it. When I looked up at Neville, he was absentmindedly watching another thestral eat out of his hand.

"You know," he finally said, "they really aren't all that scary."

"No," I said, shaking my head, "they aren't."

"I used to be afraid of them," he said. "I could see them in my second year. I could have probably seen them in my first year as well, but we took the boats first year, not the carriages. Anyway, the first time I saw them, they scared me. It scared me more when I asked Seamus if he knew what they were and he didn't know what I was talking about."

"When did you find out what they were and why you could see them?"

"Last year," Neville admitted. "In Care of Magical Creatures, Hagrid taught us about them. That's when I found out what they were and why I could see them. Right after that is when I first came to find you while you were feeding them. Remember that?"

I nodded. "Yes, I do. I'm glad you came. It was nice knowing that other people could see them."

"Yeah, it makes me feel better knowing that other people can. It's like I'm not alone."

"You're never alone, Neville," I said. "You have me and your other friends."

Neville nodded. "Yeah, thank goodness for that."

"Yeah," I agreed. "Thank goodness."

"It's good that we can come down here without having to worry about Umbridge," Neville said.

"I know," I answered. "Not that we really let her stop us anyway."

"Definitely not," Neville answered. "I wonder what happened to her, anyway. The last I saw of her, she was in the hospital wing after her centaur attack."

"She's probably back at the Ministry," I said. "She loved that job and the power too much to leave."

"True," Neville said, "but now she has to admit that Harry was telling the truth about You-Know-Who."

"She probably feels very silly," I said, "but she wouldn't dare admit it."

"True again," Neville answered.

There were a few moments of silence before I smiled over at Neville and said "Ribbit."

He began to laugh and I laughed with him. It had been a sort of inside joke between us last year to make frog noises whenever Umbridge was around.

"So," Neville said once we were done feeding the thestrals and heading back up to the castle, "I have to go to a dinner with Professor Slughorn again."

"Oh, how nice of him to invite you," I said.

"Yeah, I guess," Neville said. "Harry's invited and so are Ginny and Hermione."

"Hermione?" I asked.

"Yeah, because she's smart," Neville said. "I'm only invited because of my parents."

"I thought you said a lot of people were there because of famous relatives."

"Yeah, but Harry's invited because he _is_ famous, Hermione's invited because she's the smartest witch in our year, and Ginny's invited because of that Bat-Bogey Hex. I wish I could even perform one spell as well as she can perform that Bat-Bogey Hex."

"You improved so much during D.A. meetings," I told him, grabbing his hand.

"Yeah, you're right," Neville said, his expression brightening again.

"You are a great wizard," I said. "Slughorn's blind if he can't see that."

"I'm not my parents, though," Neville said.

"No, but isn't that a good thing?"

"Is it?" he asked.

"It depends on how you look at it. I'm sure your parents were wonderful people. They sure seemed it when I met them-,"

"You met them in St. Mungo's," Neville said.

"It doesn't matter," I shrugged. "My point is that they're wonderful, but you don't want to be just like them, do you? Don't you want to be your own person?"

"Well, yeah, but my Gran says I should be like my parents. She's always comparing me to them."

"She wants the best for you," I said.

"Whose side are you on?" Neville joked.

"Yours, of course," I laughed. "Just be yourself, Neville."

"That's easy for you to say. You're always yourself." We had reached the castle by then and Neville held open the door for me. Dinner was just starting and the entrance hall was crowded with people heading into the great hall.

"Well, of course I am. Who else would I be?" I asked.

"What a cliché conversation," Neville said with a chuckle.

"Cliché's can sometimes be incredibly true," I said.

"I believe you."

"Well, I guess we should head to dinner," I said.

"Yeah, I guess we should. Feeding the thestrals made me hungry."

"Me too," I agreed, "but unfortunately we don't eat raw meat. At least I don't."

"I don't either," Neville said, laughing. "Honestly, Luna."

"It's okay with me if you do," I joked, smiling.

"I know it would be," he answered. We held hands all the way to the great hall and when we had to go our separate ways at the doorway Neville leaned closer and whispered "I love you."

* * *

><p>"Hello, Neville, how was that dinner with Slughorn last night?" I was sitting outside on the grass by the lake, pulling up long blades of grass and tying them into knots. Neville had just come to sit beside me.<p>

"Boring," Neville said. "I don't think Slughorn is that interested in me. Once I told him everything about my parents, he kind of stopped talking to me. He's more interested in people like Harry. Apparently, he has this thing called the Slug Club, where he picks certain students and they go to regular dinners. I wonder if he'll pick me."

"Why wouldn't he?" I asked, running my fingers through the grass.

"For everything I just said. He probably won't pick me. I never get picked for anything."

"Oh, Neville, stop," I said. "You have just as good a reason to be picked as anyone else."

"He was talking about planning a Christmas party for people who make it into the Slug Club."

"Oh," I said. "That sounds like fun."

"People will be able to bring guests."

"Well that's good," I said.

"I'll bring you if I get in."

"You don't have to, Neville."

"Of course I do. There's no one else I'd rather bring."

"What if you don't get in?"

"We'll hang out just you and me. Either way, I'll get to spend time with you. You're much more fun to hang out with than most of the people there anyway."

"That's very nice of you to say," I said, moving closer to him and draping my legs sideways over his. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head.

"You know, maybe it's not such a big deal if I don't get in."

"Of course it's not."

"It would make my Gran happy though."

"Does she know what the Slug Club is?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Then imagine her reaction when you tell her without explaining first. I don't think she'd be too thrilled."

Neville laughed and imitated his Gran. "The Slug Club? You're in the _Slug_ Club, Neville?"

I giggled and rested my head against his chest. "He's not such a bad teacher, though."

"I don't mind him," Neville said. "He showed us a cauldron of Amortentia yesterday."

"Isn't that the love potion that smells like-,"

"What attracts you, yeah," Neville answered. I noticed he was blushing slightly.

"Well, what did you smell?" I didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable, but I just had to ask.

"Well, I smelled the greenhouses. I've always loved the different smells of all the plants and the greenhouses were the first place at Hogwarts where I truly felt completely comfortable. Not that I didn't feel comfortable at Hogwarts already, but you know what I mean. I also smelled pine trees. I know it's another plant, well, tree actually, but I love pine trees. I always have. When I was little, I used to lie under the Christmas tree, just so I would be able to smell it and also look up at the lights."

"That sounds beautiful," I said. "Lots of people would never think to look at a pine tree from underneath."

"Have you?" Neville asked.

I nodded my head. I've never done it with an actual lit Christmas tree, but I've sat under trees outside and looked up through the branches."

"You've done it with other trees besides pine trees?"

"Yeah, they're all different, you see," I said.

"Can we do that one time?"

"You want to go sit under different types of trees?" I asked. I wasn't sure if I had heard him right.

"Yeah," he said. "I know it must sound strange, but it'll be fun, and if we go at night, it'll be romantic." He held me tighter and playfully blew into my ear.

"Is blowing into my ear a romantic gesture as well?"

Neville began to laugh, but my question had been somewhat serious. I had never heard of people blowing into other people's ears, but everyone was different. How was I supposed to know? Maybe Neville thought it was cute.

"No," he said. "I was just being funny."

"Okay," I answered. "So, what was the last thing you smelled?"

"What?" he asked.

"You only told me two things that you smelled in the Amortentia. What was the third one?"

"Daisies," he answered, blushing even worse than the last time.

"Daisies?" I asked. "That's my-,"

"Favorite flower, I know," he answered. "You wear them in your hair a lot, so you always smell like them."

"So, technically, you associate the smell of daisies with me?"

"Yeah," Neville confirmed. "I guess you could say that."

"And you smelled daisies when you smelled Amortentia?"

"Yeah," Neville said again. "It's obvious isn't it?"

"I know it is. I also think it's funny that you smelled three different plant related things."

"I guess what that says about me is that I love plants and you."

"And more plants," I said.

"You're better than plants," Neville answered.

"Why? Not that I'm questioning you, I'm just curious."

"Well, can I do this to a plant?" Neville gently pressed a kiss to my lips. I smiled in the middle of it, causing him to deepen it.

"You could," I answered once we had pulled apart, "but you might look a little crazy. Even crazier than me."

"Maybe we're both a little crazy," Neville said, lying back on the grass. I flopped back next to him and took his hand.

"We'll be crazy together," I said.

Neville smiled. "Because even going crazy is better with someone you love."

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I've been super busy, but I should have more time now. Don't forget to review! Even if it's just one word, it means a lot. :)**

**and I don't think I've done the disclaimer yet, so I'll do it now to get it out of the way: If JK Rowling wrote it, I don't own it**


	4. Chapter 4

_"Take my hand, take my whole life too, for I can't help falling in love with you." _**-Elvis Presley (Can't Help Falling In Love)**

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><p>I had almost forgotten how much I loved being back at school. The only thing I didn't especially miss was the constant teasing, but I was so good at ignoring it that I didn't even hear the taunts anymore.<p>

"You don't mind?" Neville asked one afternoon as we sat out on the front steps of the castle, doing homework. The weather had been really nice lately and everyone was taking advantage of it.

"Don't mind what?" I asked, looking up as I double checked the length of my History of Magic essay. It was the exact length I needed. I stuck my quill behind one ear and my wand behind the other as I rolled up my essay.

"People still call you Looney Lovegood," Neville whispered. "I heard people today saying it."

"Oh, yes, they've been calling me that for years. I don't expect they'd stop now."

"But you don't mind? That's my question," Neville said.

I shrugged. "I've been hearing it and ignoring it for so long that I barely hear it going on."

"It just seems that it hurts me more than it hurts you."

"It wasn't easy to deal with the teasing when it first started, but—wait, Neville, are _you_ upset?"

"Well, yeah, I mean, I love you and I hate hearing them say those things about you."

I smiled. Last week had been the first time Neville had said he loved me. It had been a nice surprise. I hadn't expected him to say it, and especially not as casually as he did. I had actually been so surprised that I didn't answer him, so I decided that now might be a good time.

"Well, I love you too, Neville," I said with a smile, reaching out to squeeze his hand.

"Really?" Neville blinked.

"Really," I said.

"I didn't expect you to say it back. There wasn't any pressure when I said it last week, I mean." He blushed and focused on his homework.

"No, I know," I answered. "I was just so surprised."

"You didn't show it," Neville smiled. "Anyway, I was surprised too. I had been thinking it for a while, but I didn't know how to say it. Then, it just kind of came out."

"It's quite alright. I think the way you told me was a lot better than planning out some special way to tell me."

"Well that's a relief," Neville joked. "Anyway, yeah, I hate hearing people say rude things about you."

"You should have seen him yesterday." We both looked up to see Dean and Seamus walking towards us.

"Oh," Neville blushed, realizing what they meant.

"What did you do yesterday?" I asked.

"He almost hexed Zacharias Smith," Dean said with a smile.

"It was awesome," Seamus said proudly.

"Why?" I asked.

"He was talking about your radish earrings and how it's not normal to wear vegetables in your ears." Neville frowned as he talked.

"Oh," I said calmly. "Well he's not the one wearing them, so I expect he's perfectly normal and has nothing to worry about. As for me, I like these earrings and they also keep away the Nargles. And around Christmas, I get to switch them for the mistletoe ones you gave me, Neville."

"Yeah," he sighed.

"You know, you may have a point, Luna," Dean said. "Smith's not the one wearing the earrings, so why should he care? You just be yourself, Luna."

"Hasn't she always?" Neville asked, finally smiling.

I nodded. "I actually don't care much for that Zacharias either. He's not very nice to anybody."

"Do you two want to come watch the Quidditch tryouts?" Dean asked. "Ginny's trying out for Chaser."

"That's why _you _want to go," Seamus said, "but I just want to see Harry's first tryouts as captain."

"So you can laugh at him if something goes wrong," Dean laughed.

"In a friendly way," Seamus said defensively.

"Sure, we'll go," Neville said, standing up and sticking his homework in his bag. I did the same before taking Neville's hand and letting him pull me up.

"Looks like Cormac Mclaggen's trying out for Keeper," Neville said as we reached the Quidditch pitch.

"Who's Cormac McLaggen?" I asked.

"He was invited to a few of Slughorn's parties," Neville said. "Well, all of them, really. He's a bit annoying, if you ask me. I don't think Harry likes him all that much either, and I think he's got a bit of a thing for Hermione."

"Cormac does?" I asked. "Well, that's nice, but he doesn't seem to be Hermione's type. In fact, I've always thought she'd go well with Ron."

"Ron?" Seamus laughed. "Ron and Hermione? They're always arguing."

"Exactly," I said.

"But you and Neville never argue, and you're still a good couple."

"Sometimes very similar couples can work out just as well as extremely opposite couples," I told him.

"Okay," Seamus said, looking confused.

"She's going to end up being right about Ron and Hermione," Neville said, swinging my hand playfully. "I wouldn't doubt it."

"So you believe it?" Dean asked.

"I don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if she was right." I smiled, but then my smile faltered when we heard a voice behind us.

"Look, now she's got antlers!" It was Draco Malfoy and he was looking straight at me while Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle snickered behind him. Apparently they had come to watch they tryouts as well.

I reached up and gently touched one ear and then the other. I knew my wand was still behind one ear, but I had forgotten that I had put my quill behind the other. It probably did look like I had a pair of lopsided antlers.

"G-go away, Malfoy," Neville stuttered, stepping in front of me and holding up his wand.

"What'll you do if I don't?" Malfoy asked, raising his eyebrows.

"I'll hex you," Neville said.

"Yeah, he will," Seamus chimed in. "You wouldn't believe how good he got at hexes since last year."

"And if he doesn't hex you, I will." It was Ginny, coming over from the center of the field, her broom in her hand. "Now, we're about to start tryouts, so Malfoy, if you would kindly leave, we can-,"

"Oh, I came to watch," Malfoy said, smirking. "I'm sure it'll be really entertaining. It'll be like watching a bunch of people who _can't_ play Quidditch."

"No, I'm pretty sure that's the Slytherin team," Ginny said calmly.

Malfoy's face turned red, but he didn't say anything else as he stomped away, sending glares our way.

"Well, he's certainly pleasant," I said.

"Yeah, as pleasant as Snape on a Monday," Seamus mumbled.

"Or Snape any day," Neville added.

"Oh, yes, Snape is another rather unpleasant person," I said, nodding.

Ginny smiled and gave Dean a peck on the cheek. "Go find a seat and watch," she told us, "and hope Malfoy gets hit with a Bludger during the Beater tryouts."

* * *

><p>A week later, I was sitting on my bed, art supplies surrounding me as I worked on my lion hat. I was making it for the Gryffindor Quidditch match against Slytherin that was coming up that weekend. I was really hoping for Gryffindor to beat Slytherin, which was why I was making the hat. I was even hoping, if there was time of course, to add a snake inside of the lion's mouth so it would look like the lion was eating it.<p>

"Luna, someone's outside the common room looking for you," Cho Chang said, sticking her head in the door. "What is that?"

"It's my lion hat. I'm going to wear it for the match on Saturday. It's not finished yet, though. It's going to roar and everything, if I can get the charm right."

"Oh," Cho said, "it looks very big. Big for your head, I mean."

"Oh, I know. It's supposed to." I smiled up at her.

"Okay, as long as you know," she said with a smile.

"Who's waiting outside for me?" I asked, setting down a piece I was using for the lion's nose.

"Neville," Cho said smiling wider. "He said he was going down to the greenhouses and wanted you to come with him."

"That sounds lovely," I answered, standing up quickly and walking out of the room. I skipped down the stairs and gave Cho a wave and a smile over my shoulder. "Thanks for letting me know, Cho."

"No problem," she called after me.

I swung open the door that led to the stairs leading down from the tower and accidentally hit someone. "Oh, sorry, Neville!" I gasped, realizing it was him.

"No, it's my fault," he said, rubbing his shoulder. "I probably shouldn't have been standing right outside the door."

"Why _were_ you right outside the door?" I asked. "I mean, why weren't you waiting at the bottom of the stairs?"

Neville shrugged. "No reason. I didn't really want to wait all the way down there. The stairs curve so I can't really see the door."

"Why do you need to see the door?"

"Why all these questions?" Neville teased, grinning at me.

"I was just curious," I said.

"I needed to see the door so I could see you," Neville said all in one breath. "Happy now?" he smirked.

"You would have seen me eventually, whether you waited at the bottom of the stairs or not," I shrugged. "But I'm glad you didn't."

"Me too," he grinned, giving me a kiss. "I'm glad we settled that. I was about to ask why we were having that conversation."

"I don't think I would have had an answer," I said. We had reached the front doors by now and I smiled as Neville pushed one open and let me through first.

"Why?" he asked curiously.

"Conversations just happen, don't they?" I asked. "That's what I think, at least. "You never really know when or why they're going to happen and even if you try to, you can't really plan them out."

"So our conversation right now…" Neville began.

"It just happened. You said you were about to ask why we were having the conversation we had. I don't know why either. It just happened. We couldn't really control it. We didn't know it was going to happen."

"But we sort of did," Neville said, scrunching up his face in thought as he unlocked the greenhouse door. "I mean, I walked up to your dorm, which basically started the conversation in the first place."

"No, you standing outside the door started the conversation," I said.

"Okay," Neville agreed, pulling the door open. Neither of us walked through it. Instead, we stood in silence as Neville thought. "So, I stood outside the door and that started the conversation, but we can control what we say, so we can control the conversation."

"True, but did you come to my dorm knowing we would have that conversation?"

"No," Neville shook his head, "and I certainly didn't plan on having this one."

"Which wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been standing outside the door," I said. "It's funny, isn't it? How much choices effect things?"

"I never really thought of it until now," Neville said. "All I do know is that I always seem to have the most interesting conversations with you."

I smiled and walked into the greenhouse, Neville right behind me. "I rather like it in here," I said.

"Why's that?" Neville asked, walking up and down the rows of plants, checking on them.

"Mainly because you do, I think. You're so happy and relaxed in here. More than usual."

"There isn't another reason for why you like it?" Neville teased, looking over his shoulder at me.

"I was about to say that," I said. "I also like the plants."

"Luna!" Neville laughed. I laughed along with him.

"You asked me out in here and we had our first kiss in here as well."

Neville nodded and leaned back against a table. "I remember that as if it were yesterday," he said quietly.

"Almost a year," I reminded him. "Time is funny like that, isn't it?"

"Hm?" Neville asked.

"Time is funny. It's kind of scary really. I think that may be the thing I'm the most scared of."

"Why?" Neville asked, pushing off of the table and crossing the greenhouse to me. He wrapped me into a hug and I rested my cheek against his jacket.

"Well, think about it," I began. "There's so much of it, but at the same time never enough. It goes by so fast, but so slow. It tricks you."

Neville was silent for a moment. "You're right, it does," he said finally.

"It makes me wonder," I said, "how much time we all really have. You never really know. I thought I was going to have a long time with my mum and you thought you were going to have a long time with your parents, but there just wasn't enough time."

"You're going to make me develop a fear of clocks," Neville whispered, which made me giggle. "What's your boggart?" he asked suddenly. "If the whole time concept thing scares you, then…"

"Well the first time I saw a boggart was when I was 10. My mother's death had still been pretty recent at the time, and when I saw the boggart, it was another spell going wrong and killing my father that time. It was quite terrible. I didn't know it wasn't real at first until my dad came running in to get rid of it. Now, though, I'm not sure if it would still be the same or if it would have changed to include losing my friends: Ginny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and most importantly, you." I pulled away and looked up at Neville to see him looking at me with a concerned look on his face.

"Luna," he whispered. He didn't say anything else, and he didn't have to. He brushed a strand of hair out of my eyes and tucked it behind my ear. Then, he wrapped his arms around me and kissed me as hard as he could as if he were trying to help me concentrate on something better and happier than what I had just told him, and I must say, it certainly worked.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for the slow update! but the good news is that i'm on vacation now so I'll have more time for writing and updating! **

**Don't forget to leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

_"I won't change anything in my life. I'm staying myself tonight." _ **-Demi Lovato (La La Land)**

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><p>The lion hat I was making was mostly finished by the match that weekend. The only thing I didn't have time to do was put the snake in the lion's mouth. That was mostly due to how much time I was spending with Neville. It was time that I would have normally had otherwise to myself, but I wasn't complaining. I still did like to spend time on my own, just thinking, or relaxing, but I was always looking forward to spending as much time with Neville as I could. He actually helped me finish my lion hat. I brought it to a corner of the library and we finished it together the night before the match.<p>

The next morning, I sat down at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. I figured it couldn't hurt to sit at a different table. It wasn't like I did it all the time. Plus, Ron was looking absolutely dreadful. Either he had a bad case of the nerves, or there were a serious amount of Wrackspurts around. I didn't have my Spectrespecs, so I couldn't check. Neville wasn't there yet, so I took a spot next to Ron. Harry was just passing Ron a glass and urging him to eat. The only problem was that I could have sworn I saw Harry surreptitiously pour something into Ron's drink.

"Hello everybody," I said. Ron paused with the glass halfway to his mouth and looked at me, giving me a small nod. He really did look awful. "You look dreadful, Ron," I told him. I looked back at Harry. "Is that why you put something in his cup? Was it a tonic?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Harry said blankly, sticking a small vial into his pocket, which didn't go unnoticed by Hermione.

"The liquid luck from Slughorn! Ron, don't drink that pumpkin juice," she said.

Ron just stared at her, blinking slowly before downing the pumpkin juice in one gulp. I raised an eyebrow as a grin spread over his face. "Let's go," he said to Harry.

"Let's go," Harry repeated, smiling. They stood up and headed for the door.

"I should go too," Ginny said, adjusting her Quidditch uniform. "I'll see you later, Luna, Hermione." With that, she dashed off after the boys.

"So, that wasn't a tonic?" I asked Hermione, who was looking after Harry and Ron furiously.

"No," Hermione said. "It was liquid luck."

"How did Harry get liquid luck?" I asked.

"He used it already?" The voice came from behind me, and I turned to see Neville there in a jacket and his Gryffindor scarf.

"He poured it into Ron's drink," Hermione said. "Ron was nervous about the match, so Harry used the liquid luck, which is illegal and he knows it. He could get in serious trouble if he's caught."

"But who's going to know?" Neville asked with a small smile.

"He's a bad influence on you," Hermione said, rolling her eyes and smiling back as she stood up. I stood up as well and took Neville's hand.

"The hat looks great," he said, reaching up to touch part of the lion mane.

I tapped it with my wand and it let out a loud roar, attracting the attention of most of the people in the room. I smiled up at Neville after I glanced around at the many curious faces staring back at me. "The roar was effective."

"I can see that," he said.

We walked with Hermione down to the Quidditch pitch, talking about who would win: Gryffindor or Slytherin. We were desperately hoping that it wouldn't be Slytherin, but Ron did always seem to have a problem with nerves, which raised our doubts.

"Except for if Harry really did use the liquid luck," Neville said, "Gryffindor will win because they'll get lucky."

"I can see why it's illegal to use it during instances like this," I said. "It really isn't fair, but today I don't mind so much. I'd honestly like to see Gryffindor beat Slytherin."

"You're not the only one," Neville said.

"But Harry could get in serious trouble," Hermione said.

"I believe you've said that quite a few times," I reminded her with a smile.

"And I still say who's going to know?" Neville asked.

"Don't you think it'll be suspicious when Ron saves every single goal?"

"No," I said.

Neville grinned. "Don't doubt him so much Hermione."

"I don't doubt him!" Hermione said. "I just—he gets nervous. He's a very good player, when there aren't so many people watching him."

"We know that," Neville said.

"Why don't we just watch the game and pretend Ron is playing normally?" I asked. "Technically, I suppose he is playing normally because if he's a good player when not many people are watching, the liquid luck made him play like he usually does, but now he can do it in front of people. I hope that made sense out loud, because it made sense in my head."

"It made sense," Neville said.

"I suppose you have a point," Hermione said as we climbed the stairs into the stands, "but it's still illegal. Professor Slughorn told us so, and now Ron's going to be convinced that the only way he can actually play is if he's lucky or under some spell or potion."

"Well, he won't be getting any spells or potions to make him play better if you have your way," Neville said, leaning against the railing of the stands and looking down towards the ground. I stood next to him and looked down. I had always loved being high up in the stands. My lion hat slipped a little over my eyes and I had to reach up to steady it.

"You know," Neville said, "we could have made this a little lighter. It looks like it's a little heavy for you."

"Oh, no, it's not too bad. It just moves around if I move my head too much. Thank you for caring so much, though."

"Why wouldn't I care?" Neville teased, trailing his fingers up and down my arm. "I'm always going to care about you, Luna. You should be used to that by now."

"I'm not sure if I'll ever get used to it," I whispered. "Not that people don't care about me. That's not what I'm trying to say. My dad does, and my mum, before she died, but I just meant at school, most people ignored me for five years except for Ginny. Then you came along, and Harry, Ron and Hermione and I like having you all around. I care about you all quite a bit as well."

"That's very sweet," Hermione said. Apparently she had overheard me.

"Yes, well, it's the truth," I said with a smile.

Hermione smiled and nodded but that's all she had time for because the match was beginning.

Unsurprisingly, Ron saved every single goal. He looked very pleased with himself, despite the fact that he knew Harry had put liquid luck in his drink. I didn't blame him and I couldn't help but smile at Ron's grin, visible even from the stands.

Gryffindor won the match. While the Slytherins immediately began sulking, Neville grabbed me in a hug and spun me around before putting me down and kissing me. "I think your hat was a good luck charm," he whispered.

"In that case, should I wear it to the next match Gryffindor plays?"

"I think so," Neville said, taking my hand as we left the stands. Hermione had gone on ahead to find Harry and Ron to congratulate them. There was also no doubt she was going to scold Harry further about using the liquid luck.

"Unless the match is against Ravenclaw," I said. "Then, I'll have to make a different hat to support my own house."

"Understandable," Neville nodded.

"Nice hat!" The familiar voice of Pansy Parkinson came from behind us. Neville scowled and turned around.

"Yes, it is nice," he said seriously, holding his wand tighter.

"It roars, too," I said, raising my own wand to demonstrate, but Neville reached out and lowered my hand.

"Don't give them any more reason to taunt you," he whispered.

"Oh, it's all in good fun," I said as Pansy moved on. Professor McGonagall had just come within earshot and she clearly didn't want a detention.

"Luna," Neville said quietly, turning me to face him and putting his hands on my shoulders. He sighed and rested his forehead against mine.

"It's okay, Neville," I said. "The teasing doesn't bother me."

"We talked about this, though. It bothers _me_."

"Don't let it," I shrugged. "Don't let people teasing me bother you and don't let anybody teasing you bother you."

Neville pulled his head back and looked down at me.

"Yes, I've heard the Slytherins taunting you on some occasions," I said, "but-,"

"You don't care?" Neville asked, sounding a little hurt.

"No, it's not that," I said quickly. "It's just that I don't think I should tell the Slytherins off when they won't change anyway. Plus, I know what they say isn't true. It never has been and it never will be. Your friends know it's not true as well and you know it's not true. That's all that matters and in the end, you'll be getting the last laugh. My mother used to say that a lot. She used to tell me to just be myself. She was very into that kind of thing."

Neville was giving me a small smile. "It seems that you're a lot like her."

"That's such a compliment," I said quietly. "My dad says I'm a lot like her, too. He says I look like her as well." I took Neville's hand and we started walking again.

"Do you have any pictures of her?" Neville asked.

"Oh yes, I can't believe I've never shown you one, but I have two that are very special. One I bring back and forth to school with me and the other stays home in my room. I'll have to show you the one I have here at school."

"I'd love to see it," Neville said. We had almost reached the castle by now and suddenly, Hermione came running out of the changing rooms, her eyes full of tears.

"What happened?" I asked, tilting my head curiously.

She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes and sniffed. "Harry didn't really give Ron any of the Felix Felicis. He only pretended to so that Ron would be more confident."

"That's brilliant," Neville said, shaking his head in awe. "It worked too!"

"Of course it did," Hermione said with a tiny laugh, sniffing again.

"But then why are you crying?" I asked, reaching out with my free hand to gently pat her shoulder.

"Ron didn't think I thought he could play. You two know I don't think that. I had just finished telling you I knew he could play."

"We know that," I said, nodding. "I'm sure Ron does too."

"No he doesn't," Hermione said. "He just knows how to make me upset and I don't know if I can take it anymore." With that, she turned on her heel and marched into the castle.

"Hey, we're going to have a party in the common room to celebrate," Dean said to Neville as he raced by. "Ron's even going to go get food. He says he knows where the entrance to the kitchens is. I guess Fred and George must've told him before they left."

"Okay," Neville agreed. "I'll be up in a minute." Dean disappeared around the corner and Neville turned to me, smirking. We both knew where the entrance to the kitchens was, but nobody else knew that. Everyone else thought it was one big secret that the Weasley twins kept, but they weren't the only ones that knew.

"A party sounds lovely," I said. "I hope you have fun."

"It would be more fun if you were able to come," he said, twirling a piece of my hair in his fingers.

"I've never gone to a party before," I said. Neville looked even guiltier now but I just smiled. "Just pretend I'm there," I said, shrugging.

"Oh, yes, I'll look real sane staring off to the side and making facial expressions as if I'm listening to you talk," Neville laughed.

"You don't have to do any of that," I said. "Pretend only in here." I tapped his head and smiled.

"I'll be sure to eat some food for you," Neville said. "Whatever looks the best out of what Ron brings back."

"Okay," I agreed. "You know what my favorites are."

"I do," Neville nodded.

I smiled and stood on my tiptoes to kiss him goodbye. He wrapped his arms around me and I smiled.

"Do I have to go to the party?" Neville mumbled.

"You do because you'll have fun and I want you to go."

"What are you going to do?"

"I might go pay a visit to the thestrals and do some thinking. Thinking is exercise for the brain. Dad told me that."

"Of course he did," Neville said with a small laugh. He gave me another quick kiss and headed up the stairs, turning at the top to wave to me. I waved back before turning around and heading back outside.

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><p><strong>AN: Sorry about the slow update. I'm going to try to update quicker, but I've been really busy lately. Thanks for being so patient though! And thanks for all the reviews and adds to story alerts and favorite lists. **


	6. Chapter 6

_"What day is it and in what month? T__his clock never seemed so alive." **-Lifehouse (You and Me)**_

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><p><em><em>The weather was starting to get colder, which made it clear that winter was definitely on its way. One day, at the end of November, I noticed that Neville wasn't at dinner. I scanned the entire Gryffindor table for him but he wasn't there. I grabbed a few pieces of bread and a few apples from the table and stood up, having three possible places in my mind where Neville might be.

I headed to the Owlery first, since it was the closest. Neville and I had gone there a few times last year to hang out. It probably isn't the nicest place to hang out, be we always enjoyed it. When I arrived, one glance showed me that Neville wasn't there. One of the owls flew down and perched on my shoulder, trying to take a bite of one of the pieces of bread in my arms. I giggled, moving the bread out of his reach. "You can't have that, but hang on." I reached into my pocket and pulled out a few bits of owl food, feeding them to the owl on my shoulder. He ate them and with a quiet hoot, he took off and flew back to his perch.

With a sigh, I turned and headed back downstairs. I had two other places in mind where I thought Neville might be: the greenhouses or with the thestrals. The greenhouses were closer so I headed there next. Sure enough, Neville was standing at the far end of the first greenhouse I entered. When I came in, he didn't turn around, so I walked over and stood beside him.

"Hello, Neville," I said I paused for a second. I knew he liked to come to the greenhouses alone sometimes. It was his method of getting away, just like mine was going to feed the thestrals. "Did you need some time alone? I just noticed you weren't a dinner, and I wanted to make sure you were alright."

"I'm fine, Luna," he said quietly, continuing to water the plant in front of him.

"Okay," I said, deciding to not press him further. I set the food I had brought down on the table next to him. "I brought some things down from the great hall. It's only a few things that I could manage to carry and without having to bring down any plates because I'm thinking the school actually needs those."

A small smile flickered across Neville's face and he set the watering can down. He still didn't turn to look at me, though. Instead of being offended, I turned for the door. I figured he did need some time alone and it would be best if I gave it to him.

"I didn't get into the Slug Club," Neville finally said as I was halfway to the door. I turned to see him looking at me over his shoulder, biting his lip nervously. "I guess Slughorn ended up deciding that I wasn't worth having."

"We discussed this," I told him, "I don't care if you got picked or not."

"I know, but it would have been nice to be picked just this once."

"Did Harry and Hermione get picked?" I asked, guessing there was more to the problem."

"Ginny, too," Neville added miserably, turning back to his plant. I walked back to stand beside him and didn't say anything. Neville didn't seem to mind. He continued to talk. "I won't be able to go to the Christmas party and that means we won't be able to go together."

"That's alright," I said. "The party isn't the most important thing and like you said, the two of us can just do something on that night instead."

"I wanted to bring you," Neville said, frustrated. "You've never been to a party before."

"There's plenty of time for me to go to parties," I shrugged, "and there'll be plenty of parties for us to go to together. I'm guessing there will be a lot of them that are even better than Slughorn's."

"I guess you're right," Neville said.

"Did you even enjoy the meetings with Slughorn that you did go to?" I asked.

"Not really," he shrugged. "It was only somewhat enjoyable because Harry, Ginny and Hermione were there. Otherwise, I probably wouldn't have had too much fun, but like I said, it was nice to be picked for something."

"That's not always a good thing," I shrugged. "Being picked for things, I mean."

"What?" Neville asked, turning towards me and looking confused.

"I mean, for instance, you could be picked by Professor Snape to demonstrate a Sleeping Drought and you end up being left on the floor for the rest of the day, out like a light."

"Did that happen to you?" Neville asked. His eyebrows were raised with slight amusement.

"No," I said, shaking my head, "a boy in my class. Also, more seriously, think about Harry. He gets picked for a lot of things that he doesn't want to do."

"True," Neville said.

"So, when was this Christmas party supposed to be?"

"December 21st," Neville answered.

I nodded. "So, we'll be able to do something together."

"Yeah," Neville said, smiling. "Start thinking of things we can do. I'll probably have a lot more fun with you than I would have at the party anyway."

"Thank you, Neville. How nice." I squeezed his hand and gestured to the food. "You should eat something."

"I think we still have enough time to go join dinner," Neville said, "but thanks for bringing this to me. It means a lot."

I smiled and shook my head. "We may have enough time, but do you really want to go to dinner? I mean, now that we're together, why don't we do something?"

"Like what?" Neville asked.

"I have an idea," I said. "Come on." I took his hand and pulled him from the greenhouses at almost a run.

"Where are we going?" he asked.

"You'll see in a moment. I want to keep it a surprise for as long as I can."

We finally reached our destination and I stopped abruptly. Neville ran into me and we both tripped forward a few steps. "The clock tower?" Neville asked, looking around the room.

I nodded before lying down on my stomach and pressing my cheek to the ground. I gestured for Neville to do the same. He did and there was silence for a few moments.

"This is lovely," I finally said.

"I guess, but what exactly are we supposed to be doing?"

"Nothing. We aren't supposed to be doing anything."

"You mean we just stay still here on the floor?"

"Yes," I said. I turned to rest on my other cheek so that I was facing Neville instead of the wall and looked at him. "I come here a lot."

"You always seem to visit the least common places of Hogwarts," Neville said.

"Well, yes, I find the least visited places tend to be quieter, which is what I like a lot of the time."

"Okay, so what's the point of coming here and what's the point of lying on our stomachs?"

"Well," I said, "it is quiet most of the time, but you can hear the clock ticking away quietly and then when it chimes it is quite loud, but it's never too bad and with your cheek pressed against the floor you can feel it shaking slightly. It's never scary, though. I find it relaxing. Once, about two years ago, I actually fell asleep up here."

"You fell asleep up here?" Neville asked, as if the possibility was completely mental.

"Oh, yes. It sounds like it would be difficult, but it's very easy."

"Wasn't anybody looking for you?"

"No, I think people are used to me wandering off and finding all of the odd places in the castle. They know I like to be alone, and I always come up here whenever I have a lot of free time just in case I do fall asleep."

"You have it all thought out," Neville said quietly.

"Yeah, I do a lot of thinking," I said.

Neville laughed. "I know."

"Only sometimes it works to not think, don't you agree?"

I saw Neville shrug against the floor. "I guess so."

I smiled and closed my eyes, letting out a happy sigh. I felt Neville grab my hand and I gently squeezed his fingers. "You know," I finally said, keeping my eyes closed, "I think we have the best hang out spots out of everyone in the entire school."

"You're the one who usually finds them, though," Neville said.

"You hang out in the greenhouses and you took me to the Owlery last year so we could eat when Umbridge gave us a detention during dinner." I opened my eyes and smiled at him.

"Yeah, but you've always liked going to the Owlery anyway. You even keep owl treats in your pockets. So that doesn't count."

"How about we found that one together?" I said.

"Joint custody," Neville laughed.

"We have joint custody of the Owlery," I said with a smile. "Neville?" I asked after a few moments.

"Yes?" he asked.

"I'm glad you didn't get into the Slug Club."

"Why's that?"

"Well, you see, since you didn't get in, you'll get to spend more time with me."

I couldn't help but smile as Neville burst into laughter and squeezed my hand.

* * *

><p>"Er, Luna, can I talk to you?" Neville asked, catching up to me in the hallway between classes a couple of weeks later.<p>

"Of course you can," I said, looking up at him. "What is it? You look terribly upset."

"I can't spend time with you next week. "You know, during Slughorn's Christmas party? Something came up."

"Is everything alright at home?" I asked. "Is it your Gran?"

"No, everything's fine at home. It's just—it's complicated." I noticed Neville blushing and I hesitated. I desperately wanted to figure out what was wrong, but he was clearly embarrassed and I didn't want to make it worse. However, at the same time, I didn't want him to be embarrassed around me.

I sighed. "Okay." My voice came out quietly.

"You're disappointed." Neville's face fell even more, if that were possible.

"Well, I was looking forward to spending time with you." I wasn't going to pretend I wasn't disappointed at all because the truth was that I was a little disappointed. I loved spending time with Neville whenever I could.

"I was looking forward to spending time with you too." Neville pulled me over to the side of the hallway and took my hands. "You have to believe me. I really wanted to spend time with you, but I kind of got roped into something else."

"If you really don't want to tell me, I won't force you," I said, "but I think it would be good if you told me. It's healthier for you to tell people things instead of keeping them all inside. It's also more of an attraction for Nargles if you keep everything in."

Neville bit his lip and looked as if he was considering saying something, but he just shook his head.

"Okay," I said, smiling. "Tell me when you're ready."

"Luna," Neville said.

"No, it's okay, I'm not mad that you won't tell me. Like I said, I won't force you if you aren't ready."

"That's just it. It makes me feel worse that you aren't mad. It's just—okay, well, Slughorn kind of roped me into helping out at the Christmas party. It was kind of hard to say no. He wouldn't take no for an answer, actually, so-,"

"So you're going to the party after all," I said. I actually smiled. I felt sort of happy for him. He had wanted to go and now he could.

"Not as a guest," he said, "and now I'd actually rather spend time with you."

"I thought you wanted to go to the party," I said.

"I did, but you changed my mind," he answered. "Are you still disappointed?"

"Well, yes, perhaps a little bit. Maybe I just thought that the party didn't mean as much to you anymore."

"It doesn't," Neville assured me quickly.

"But you jumped at the chance to be able to go, even if it is to help out. I'm happy for you, though. I'm glad you get to go."

"But I wanted to be able to bring you as my date." Neville looked really disappointed and torn.

I smiled. "We'll have plenty of chances to spend time together. Go help out at the party and enjoy yourself even if you aren't a guest. Just promise to tell me all about it later."

"Okay," Neville grinned shyly. "You aren't incredibly angry?"

"No," I said shaking my head. "I'm just glad that the party isn't two days later than it is."

Neville nodded in understanding. "Then it would be on our year anniversary."

"Exactly," I said. "At least it worked out that way. So, you go to the party and then on the last day before break, we'll go on our own date somewhere in the castle. You can pick. I mean, sometimes the best dates are ones when there aren't a lot of people around, don't you agree?"

Neville nodded. "I guess you're right. I'm sorry, Luna. I really wish I could have spent time with you or taken you to that party."

I shook my head and gave him a small smile, reaching up to kiss his cheek. "Just pretend I'm there," I whispered.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for all the reviews and adds to story alerts and favorites! Don't forget to review this chapter and let me know what you thought. **

**And Happy New Year everyone!**


	7. Chapter 7

_"Love is a battlefield." **-Pat Benatar (Love is a Battlefield)**_

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><p>On the morning of Slughorn's Christmas party, I sat with Neville at breakfast. I could tell he was still feeling a little guilty about helping out at the party, but I wanted to make him feel better, so I spent breakfast with him. I think my plan worked, because by the end of the meal, I had gotten him laughing and I was glad.<p>

Despite the fact that I didn't mind that I couldn't go to the party with Neville and I didn't really mind that he had had to cancel our plans for that night, I kept thinking about what the party would be like. I knew that Ginny didn't especially love them or hate going to Slughorn's meetings and parties, but I was still curious. During one daydream on my way to class where I was wondering if Stubby Boardman might be providing music for the party, I was almost trampled by Hermione. She was running in the opposite direction with her hands over her face. I suspected she was crying.

I had time before my class so I followed her into a girl's bathroom just down the hallway. To be honest, when I first walked in, I thought I had been mistaken about where she had gone and that Hermione wasn't in there after all. From the sounds coming from inside, I thought it was Moaning Myrtle moping in a different bathroom for once. "Hermione, are you in here?" I called, checking under each stall for her feet. I finally noticed her shoes in the last stall, so I knocked. "Hermione?"

"I'm not here," she said tearfully.

I let out a giggle. "Of course you're here. I can see your feet."

"Luna, please," Hermione said. "I'm not in the mood to talk right now."

"If you talk, it'll give you something to do besides crying," I told her.

"I can talk and cry at the same time," Hermione said, beginning a new wave of sobs.

"Well, crying does make you feel better, but so does talking. Maybe you should try it. You can even talk from in there if you want. I don't mind. Lots of people suspect I talk to walls anyway, what's one more?"

"But you're not talking to a wall, you're talking to me," Hermione answered with a watery laugh.

"Through a bathroom stall door," I said.

The door swung open and Hermione stood there, her face blotchy and her eyes wet. She sniffed and walked to the sinks to get paper towels. I kept handing her more as she needed them. She certainly had a lot of tears

"I don't understand how he can be so inconsiderate!" she burst out.

I nodded, deciding it was best to pretend to know who she was talking about. "A lot of people are inconsiderate," I told her. "It's almost expected to come across inconsiderate people."

"But he's not always inconsiderate," she said. "It's usually only when he's mad at me, but a lot of the time he's funny and nice and he—well, right now he's being a complete and total jerk."

"What did he say to you?" I asked, still unsure of who she was talking about.

"He imitated me raising my hand in class," Hermione said, tossing a bunch of paper towels into the trash, "because I laughed at his mustache."

"I didn't know there were any students here with mustaches," I said, surprised. "How fascinating. Unless you're talking about Dumbledore?" I asked that question a little nervously. I certainly hoped she wasn't talking about Dumbledore.

"No," Hermione said, a smile flickering across her face. "We were supposed to be changing our eyebrow color in Transfiguration and Ron gave himself a mustache."

"Ah," I said. I should have known this had something to do with Ron. He was the only person who could get Hermione so worked up like she was now. "He was incredibly inaccurate wasn't he? I mean, a mustache is pretty far off from changing his eyebrows. I bet you did it on the first try."

Hermione smiled but didn't say anything, which confirmed my suspicion. "Well, thanks, Luna," she said finally. "I should be going now. I left my stuff back in McGonagall's room and I have to get it before my next class."

"Alright," I agreed, handing her one last paper towel. She wiped her face and took a deep breath before tossing out the paper towel and heading for the door. I followed her, patting her back gently. "Are you sure you're alright?"

"Yeah, I'll be fine."

"Okay," I said. Then, I noticed Harry coming closer carrying Hermione's things in addition to his own. "Hello, Harry. Did you know that one of your eyebrows is bright yellow?"

"Hi, Luna. Hermione, you left your stuff…" He held out her books and stared at her with a concerned expression.

"Oh, yes, I was just about to go back for it." She took her things and sniffed again. "Thank you, Harry. Well, I'd better get going. I have a class to get to." With that, she hurried off down the hallway.

"She's a bit upset," I told Harry. "She ran past me crying, so I followed her to the bathroom, but at first I thought I had gotten the wrong room. It sounded like Moaning Myrtle was in there, but it turned out that it was Hermione after all. She said something about Ron Weasley…."

"Yeah, they've had a fight."

"Something about Ron's mustache. Apparently, it's quite the laughing matter."

"Their fight was really about something else, but yeah, Ron's mustache didn't help."

"He says very funny things sometimes, doesn't he? Ron, I mean." I looked at Harry as we started off down the hallway together. "He makes me laugh, but he can be a bit unkind. I noticed that last year."

"I suppose," Harry shrugged. "So have you had a good term?"

"Oh, it's been okay," I said. "A bit lonely without the D.A., but I have Neville. Ginny, too. She actually stopped two boys in our Transfiguration class from calling me 'Loony' the other day."

"Hey, Luna," Harry said, stopping suddenly.

"Yes?" I asked.

"I know this might be weird to ask you, but I'm sure Neville told you about Slughorn's party, or at least mentioned it."

"Oh, yes, he didn't get into the Slug Club. He was actually pretty disappointed, and we were going to do something together tonight instead, but then Slughorn asked Neville to help out so that's what he's doing."

"Oh, so you're free tonight?" Harry asked, brightening.

"Well, yes," I said slowly. "Why do you ask?"

"How would you like to come to the party with me?" Harry blurted out.

"Me? Go to Slughorn's party with you?" Usually not much surprised me, but I had to say that this did. I would never have thought Harry would ask me to the party. Plus, I'd have imagined he already had someone to ask. "What about Ginny?"

"Going with Dean," Harry said with a sigh. "Wait, hold on, why did you-? How-?"

"It's okay, Harry," I said with a smile. I patted his hand and smiled wider.

"Er, okay, well about going to the party. I'm sure you know we're supposed to bring guests, so I thought you might like…I mean…just as friends, you know. But if you don't want to, it's—I mean, Neville might-,"

"No, I'm sure he'll be alright with it. If he's not, I can talk to him. And like you said, it's just as friends."

"So you'll go with me?" Harry asked.

"Yes, I'd love to go with you as friends!" I said excitedly. "Nobody's ever asked me to a party before, as a friend! Is that why you dyed your eyebrow yellow, for the party? Should I do mine too?"

"No," Harry said quickly. "The eyebrow thing was a mistake. I'll have Hermione put it right for me."

"You know, maybe I'll just dye my eyebrow anyway," I said absentmindedly. "Perhaps purple."

"No, Luna, it's okay, nobody else will have a colored eyebrow."

"Exactly," I shrugged, smiling at him.

"Er, really, you don't have to, but I guess—never mind. Anyway, I'll meet you in the entrance hall at eight?"

"Alright," I agreed.

"Aha!" yelled a voice from above us. We both jumped. Neither one of us had noticed Peeves dangling like a monkey from a chandelier. "Potty asked Loony to go to the party! Potty loves Loony! Potty loves Looney, but Loony has a boyfriend already!" Cackling wildly, he zoomed off down the hallway.

"Neville won't be too upset, will he?" Harry asked.

"I certainly hope not. After all, you and I are just going as friends."

"Well, it looks as if he's going to find out from other people, not you. Peeves will spread it around the entire school."

"Don't worry, Harry," I said, patting his shoulder. "I'll talk to him. See you at eight o'clock!" Waving, I headed off down the hallway.

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><p>"You're going to the party with Harry." Neville appeared in front of me as I entered the great hall for lunch. He stood with his arms crossed and a frown on his face.<p>

"Yes, just as friends. He didn't have a date yet, so I agreed. Ginny's going with Dean, you see-,"

"What does Ginny have to do with anything?" Neville asked.

"Harry clearly likes her," I said. "I thought it was quite obvious, but-,"

"I can't believe you're going with Harry," Neville said, sounding terribly hurt.

"I didn't want to say no, and he specifically said we're going as friends."

"Yeah, that's why Peeves was flying around yelling 'Potty loves Loony', isn't it?" Neville asked, brushing by me.

"When have you ever believed Peeves?" I asked, following him. "Ask Harry, he'll say the same thing I did. We're going as friends. Haven't I just finished telling you he likes Ginny?"

"I don't want you to go to the party and see me!" Neville said, spinning around to face me. "Don't you get it? You're going to be there with Harry and all those other famous, smart people that are worth something and I'm going to be walking around asking people if they'd like a drink or if they've tried any of the food!"

"I don't care if that's how I have to see you. I think it's nice that I get to see you in the first place."

"I should be taking you to that party," Neville mumbled.

"We were supposed to spend time together tonight," I said calmly.

"I couldn't back out of helping Slughorn. I told you that I kind of got roped into it."

"Still," I shrugged. "You backed out on me whether you wanted to or not. Harry asked me to go as friends and honestly, I'm excited. And I'll still get to see you there."

"But I don't want you to see me. I've already told you. And how can you be excited?"

"I'm excited to go to the party."

"You thought the party was stupid," Neville said, crossing his arms again.

"I never said that. I just said I didn't care if you got to go or not. I don't mind if you're in the Slug Club or not and I don't mind if you help out at the party or not."

"I suppose you're excited to go with Harry. Who wouldn't be?" Neville snapped.

"Neville, Harry is my friend. That's why I'm excited to go with him. It'll be just like spending time with a very good friend. If I went with you, it would be different because we're dating."

"But you're not going with me."

"I would love to go with you. You know that. But can't you just be happy we get to see each other tonight after all?"

"I don't want to walk around and have to offer you a drink. I want to be able to ask you to dance and stand around talking with you and wondering if Nargles have infested the brains of half the people there."

I shrugged. "Don't offer me a drink if you don't want to. It's not a rule that I have to have a drink anyway. It's not a rule that you have to give me one either, for that matter. I don't mind not having one."

Neville just shook his head. "Can you just see why I'm so upset?"

"I know why you're so upset," I said, "but I'm trying to get you to see the bright side."

"Yeah, well, sometimes people just want to be miserable," Neville snapped, turning away and marching down the hallway.

I sighed. Between Hermione's argument with Ron, my argument with Neville, and Harry not being able to take Ginny to the party, today was not turning out to be a lucky day in the romance department. I suspect the Nargles are behind it.

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><p><strong>AN: Don't forget to leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

_"Don't forget who's taking you home and in whose arms you're gonna be. So, darling, save the last dance for me." _**-Michael Buble (Save the Last Dance for Me)**

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><p>Slughorn's Christmas party was being held in a section of the castle that I had never been to before, so I was very glad that Harry had asked me to meet him in the entrance hall. I rocked back and forth on the balls of my feet as I stared at the ceiling, waiting for Harry to arrive. I had on a silvery pink dress that I had bought on my trip to Sweden over the summer. It was very lucky that I had bought it, actually. It was perfect for the party. I also had my mistletoe earrings from Neville in my ears.<p>

Harry appeared beside me a few minutes after eight. "Hi," he said. "Shall we get going then?"

"Oh yes," I said, ignoring the giggles from people walking by. They were probably just very taken aback by the brightness of my dress.

"So did you hear there's supposed to be a vampire coming?" Harry asked as we walked up the marble staircase.

I hadn't heard that so I shook my head. "No, is it Rufus Scrimgeour?"

"I—what?" Harry asked. "You mean the Minister of Magic?"

"Yes, he's a vampire," I said. "Dad write a very long article about it when Scrimgeour first took over for Cornelius Fudge, but he was forced not to publish it by somebody from the Ministry. Obviously, they didn't want the truth to get out."

Harry didn't answer, but I didn't mind. I just stared around me as we kept walking. "That's a very interesting dress," Harry finally said.

"Oh, thank you. I got it in Sweden." I smoothed down the front of my dress.

"Looking for Crumple Horned…uh, things?" Harry asked.

"Snorkacks, and yes. You know, I've never been to this part of the castle. At least not while I was awake. I tend to sleepwalk, you see. That's why I wear shoes to bed."

"You wear your shoes to bed? Isn't that uncomfortable?"

"Not really," I said. "It's better than walking around in bare feet without knowing what I'm stepping on."

"How many sharp things can be lying on the floor?" Harry asked, looking down as if expecting to see spikes sticking out of the ground.

"Plenty, I'm sure," I said. "I wouldn't know what they are, though. I just know that the first time I sleepwalked I woke up with very dirty and scratched feet. Maybe I went down to the lake and walked on sharp rocks."

"Or maybe it was a Crumple Horned Snorkack," Harry said, with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't be silly," I laughed. "There aren't any around here."

"Right," Harry said with a laugh.

We finally reached the party and I looked around the room with a smile on my face. It was very nicely decorated. Slughorn had clearly gone all out. The room was already packed with a lot of people even though Harry and I were on time.

"Harry!" Slughorn boomed, coming towards us with a drink in his hand. He didn't even acknowledge me, but I didn't mind. Apparently, Harry did, though.

"Professor Slughorn," he said with a slight nod. "I'm sure you know Luna. She's my date."

"Oh," Slughorn said, blinking at me a few times. "Her? Well, yes, how nice. Anyway, Harry, come here. I'd like you to meet someone." He grabbed Harry's arm and began to drag him across the room. At the last second, Harry grabbed my arm and I had no choice but to be pulled along with them. I didn't mind. In most cases like this I would have just stared at the ceiling, lost in thought, but instead I used the opportunity to search for Neville in the crowded room.

"Harry, I'd like you to meet Eldred Worple, an old student of mine. He wrote a wonderful book about vampires. And this is his friend Sanguini."

"Harry Potter, I am simply delighted," Worple said, shaking Harry's hand enthusiastically. I tuned out what he said next. He wasn't talking to me and I doubted he would at all. Even though my dress was incredibly shiny, I still seemed invisible. I suspect it might be a talent of mine. I still wanted to find Neville, so I used the opportunity to look for him. I craned my neck as I searched the room. Every time someone with a tray of drinks walked by, my heart stopped for a second, but it was never the one person I was looking for.

"Drink?" someone asked beside me. I'm not one to jump, but this time I did. When I turned my eyes upon the person who had appeared beside me, I saw that it wasn't Neville. My heart sank slightly.

"Sure, thanks." I took a drink off of his tray. "Oh, have you seen a boy who's-," I turned back to the boy, but he had already disappeared into the crowd.

"Come on," Harry suddenly whispered into my ear. He grabbed my arm and pulled me to the other side of the room. I set my drink down on a table as we passed it. "I've just seen Hermione," Harry said, "and I needed to get away from that Worple guy and his vampire friend."

"Oh, that was the vampire?" I asked. "I was almost positive it was going to be Scrimgeour."

Harry gave a small shrug and pulled me behind a curtain in the corner of the room where Hermione was hiding. "Harry, there you are!" she exclaimed. "Hi Luna!"

"Hello," I said. "Why are you hiding behind this curtain?"

"I was just about to ask that," Harry said with a smirk.

"I've just escaped—I mean, I've just left Cormac," she said. "Under the mistletoe."

"Good decision," I said.

"Nargles?" Harry and Hermione asked together.

I nodded. "It's probably full of them."

"Anyway, it serves you right, Hermione, for coming with him," Harry said.

"I thought he'd annoy Ron most."

"No, Harry would," I said.

"What?" Harry and Hermione said together.

I shrugged. "Well, first of all, Ron and Harry are best friends, so that would annoy Ron. Secondly, I kind of just said that because I suspect Neville's avoiding me. Either that or it really is too crowded in here." I took another desperate look around the room from behind the curtain.

Harry and Hermione were both silent for a moment before Harry spoke. "Neville got mad at you for coming with me." It wasn't a question, but a statement.

"Not exactly," I said. "He was just a little disappointed that he didn't get to take me to the party. I'm having a wonderful time so far, though, so don't feel bad, Harry."

"We've been here five minutes and we haven't done anything but stand behind this curtain and talk to Slughorn's friend Worple what's-his-name," Harry said.

"It's quite alright," I answered.

"Well, if you find Neville, go talk to him. Don't let me being your date stop you."'

I nodded and changed the subject. "So, Hermione, Cormac's not what you thought?"

"No," she said forcefully, making a face. "Cormac makes Grawp look like a gentleman. I actually considered Zacharias Smith for a while and now I'm wishing I chose him."

"Zacharias Smith?" Harry asked, flabbergasted.

"Yes, I did, now come on. If we go this way we'll be able to see Cormac better if he comes to look for me."

The three of us made our way over to the other side of the room. I still hadn't seen Neville once; not even a glimpse. Once we reached the opposite corner of the room, we ran into Professor Trelawney. "Hello," I said politely. It was too late to not say anything. She was alone and had already seen us.

"Good evening, my dear," she answered. "I haven't seen you in my classes lately."

"No, I've got Firenze this year," I said.

"Oh, of course," she said, shaking her head. "You would have thought that Dumbledore would have gotten rid of him now that I am no longer 'fired'." She made quote marks in the air. "It's an insult, really."

I politely listened to Professor Trelawney ramble on about how insulted she was to be sharing classes with Firenze. She seemed to be a tiny bit drunk and hardly seemed to notice or care that I wasn't responding. Not that she was leaving any room for me to get a word in edgewise. Finally, she turned towards Harry and seemed to notice him for the first time. Hermione had disappeared. There had probably been a McLaggen sighting.

"Harry Potter!" Professor Trelawney gasped.

"Oh, hello," Harry said dully.

"My dear boy," Trelawney whispered, putting a hand on his shoulder. "The rumors! The stories! The Chosen One! Of course, I have known for a very long time, but why have you not returned to Divination? For you, of all people, the subject is of the utmost importance."

"Ah, we all think our subject's most important, don't we?" Slughorn had appeared through the crowd and stood grinning at Harry. "But I don't think I've ever known such a natural at Potions! I was even telling Severus about Harry's talent!" With that, he reached out and seemed to pull Snape out of thin air. "Some credit must go to you, Severus. You taught him for five years!"

"Funny," Snape said in his low voice, "I never had the impression that I managed to teach Potter anything at all."

"Well then it's natural ability!" Slughorn said. "What other subjects are you taking, Harry?"

"Defense Against the Dark Arts, Charms, Transfiguration, Herbology…"

"All of the subjects required to become an Auror," Snape said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that's what I want to do," Harry said.

"I don't think you should be an Auror, Harry," I said. Everyone turned to look at me and I blinked back at them. "The Aurors are part of the Rotfang Conspiracy. I thought everyone knew that. They're working to bring down the Ministry of Magic from within using a combination of Dark Magic and gum disease."

Harry let out a laugh and I smiled at him. It was the first time I had seen him laugh in a while. "This is why I love being around you, Luna," he said.

Someone cleared their throat from behind me and I spun around. It was Neville. He cleared his throat again, clearly unsure of what to say.

"Neville! I've been looking all over for you," I said, grinning.

"Yeah, looked like it," he mumbled. His cheeks were bright red and he spun on his heels and walked away, getting lost in the crowd again.

"Harry, do you mind if I-?"

"No, not at all, go ahead." Harry gave me a smile before he turned to look at something else that had clearly distracted him. I vaguely registered Filch dragging Draco Malfoy across the room, before I took off in the direction Neville had gone. I just had to find him and talk to him so that I could fix this.

I finally found him on the opposite side of the room and I politely tapped him on the shoulder before he could go any further.

"What is it, Luna?" he asked when he saw me.

"I want to talk to you," I said. "I really have been looking for you all night."

"Yeah, it didn't seem like it when you were standing around with Slughorn and Harry, telling them about whatever it is you were telling them. It looked funny, though, seeing as Harry was laughing so hard."

"It wasn't meant to be funny, but I guess Harry thought it was," I said with a shrug.

"You know why I'm upset," Neville continued. "You know I wanted to be the one who got to stay with you and listen to your stories and just be with you."

"I know you do and I promise I was looking for you, but there are so many people here. It seemed that everywhere I went there was someone to talk to and no matter how hard I looked, I couldn't find you. I actually thought you were avoiding me because you were mad."

Neville's expression softened and he set down the tray of drinks. "No, I wasn't avoiding you. I've been busy." He gestured to the tray, a dismal expression on his face.

"Well," I said, taking his hand. "I don't think Slughorn will mind, or even notice for that matter, if you take a break to dance with me."

"I don't think I should," Neville said. "I should get back to work."

"I didn't look for you for nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Come on." I led him to the dance floor. Lucky for us, it was a slow song.

"I'm not the best at this," Neville muttered.

I shrugged. I had danced with Neville once before and I hadn't thought he was a bad dancer. "Most people believe that they can't dance. Dancing is hard, but at the same time very easy. There are no rules. That's what makes it so hard and so easy at the same time, I think."

Neville scrunched his face up in thought as he processed what I had said. While he was thinking, I slid my hands around the back of his neck and he put his on my waist.

"You're wearing the mistletoe earrings," he whispered with a smile.

"Of course I am. What other earrings would I wear at this time of year?"

Neville shrugged. "I'm glad to see you wearing them."

I smiled. "I love them. You know me so well."

"I'm sorry I got upset that you were going to the party with Harry," Neville said, looking embarrassed. "I just wanted to be able to take you to the party. I got a little jealous."

"I wanted to go to the party with you, too, and I didn't mean to make you jealous. I just went with Harry as friends. It was very clear to both of us that we were going as friends. And anyway, you kind of did get to go to the party with me. We're dancing right now aren't we?"

"Yeah, you're right," Neville said, a smile appearing on his face. "How is it that you always know how to make me feel better?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Like you said, some people just want to be miserable, which I can sort of understand, but I don't think anyone _should_ be miserable, even if they want to. After a while, it just gets tiring and misery is contagious, like dragon pox."

"Aren't smiles contagious too?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, but they're the good kind of contagious," I said.

"Ah, I see," Neville answered.

"I knew you would," I answered, contentedly resting my head on his chest.

"By the way," Neville muttered. "You're dress is very bright and shiny. I love it."

"I knew you would," I said again. He laughed and I just had to join in. His laugh was contagious, but it was, of course, the good kind of contagious.


	9. Chapter 9

_"What makes you different makes you beautiful." _**–Backstreet Boys (What Makes You Different)**

* * *

><p>On the last day before the Christmas holidays, I made my way up to the clock tower after classes. I was supposed to be meeting up with Neville later, but I wanted to spend some time up in the clock tower away from the crowds of students that were moving around the entire castle. It felt like the clock tower was the only place I could get some peace for a few minutes.<p>

I walked to the center of the room before lying down on my stomach and pressing my cheek to the floor. I closed my eyes and just kept still and enjoyed the quiet. The good thing about staying up here for awhile is that I always know what time it is without having to open my eyes. All I have to do is wait for the clock to chime. This way I knew I wouldn't be late to meet Neville later on. It was our one year anniversary and naturally we were going to spend it together.

"I thought I might find you up here."

I didn't even jump at the voice. I probably should have, but I had never been a jumpy person. Instead, I opened my eyes, propped myself up on my elbow and turned towards the door. Neville was standing there, smiling at me. "And how did you know that?" I asked with a smile. "There are plenty of places I could have been."

"Well, I know all of the spots you like to go to and I checked this one first. I was hoping you weren't feeding the thestrals because I was actually hoping we could do that together later on."

I smiled. "Of course we can."

Neville crossed the room and sat cross-legged beside me. "Did you want to be alone?" he asked. "Is that why you came up here?"

"I didn't want to be alone, exactly," I answered. "I just wanted to go somewhere quiet and away from the crowds. It's the last day before break and the hallways always seem more crowded for some reason."

Neville nodded and began fiddling with his shoelaces. I closed my eyes and rested my cheek on the floor again, letting my mind wander back to the night of Slughorn's party. Neville and I had stayed in a corner of the room just talking, laughing and occasionally dancing. Slughorn didn't even seem to notice that one of his helpers had gone missing.

"Speaking of missing," I began, opening one eye to look up at Neville.

"What?" Neville asked. "We weren't speaking of anything."

"Oh, that's right," I said. "I was thinking of it."

"Why were you thinking of that? Who's missing?"

"Harry went missing halfway through Slughorn's party. Didn't you notice?"

"No," Neville shrugged. He looked down at me sheepishly and moved a piece of hair of my cheek with his index finger. "Honestly, I was too preoccupied with you."

I sat up and smiled at him, resting my head on his shoulder. "That's nice, but I saw Harry hurrying for the exit just after you and I started dancing."

"I think he went to follow Malfoy."

"Why?" I asked.

Neville shrugged. "Malfoy crashed the party. Harry probably thought it was suspicious. It kind of is. Malfoy had to be lying."

"He's been acting very strange lately too," I said. "He's hasn't teased me in quite some time. Now he just ignores me. I don't think he even sees me or anyone else for that matter. He looks more zoned out than me."

Neville shrugged again. "He looks odd. Tired and worn out, I guess. Everyone's noticed."

"He's an odd one," I said with a smile. "I honestly think he's mixed up when he tells me _I'm _odd."

"I agree," Neville said with a small laugh. "So, what do you say we head down to see the thestrals now?"

I nodded in agreement and Neville stood before reaching out a hand to help me up. We walked hand in hand down to the kitchens to pick up food for the thestrals and then we headed outside.

"It's snowing," I said happily, sticking out my free hand to let the snowflakes fall into my palm.

"Yeah," Neville said, staring up at the sky.

I laughed and immediately fell onto my back to make a snow angel. "Pull me up." I held out my arms and Neville grabbed them, pulling me to my feet so I wouldn't mess up my snow angel.

"It looks nice," he said with a smile.

"Yes, it does," I agreed. "Now you have to make one."

Neville hesitated, but I gave him a smile and he flopped into the snow next to my snow angel and began sliding his arms and legs back and forth. When he was done, I helped him up and wrapped my arms around him as we looked down at our snow angels.

"I've never made a snow angel," Neville said. "When I was younger there weren't many kids around for me to play with and whatever kids were around were either a lot older than me or a lot younger than me. And Gran hates the snow. So I never went out in it much."

"I used to go out in the snow with my mum all the time. Every year after the first snowfall, we would run outside. Well, when I was a baby, she would pull me around on a little sled. When I got older, we would make snowmen and snow angels. My dad would watch from the kitchen window or the front steps and he would smile and take pictures of us."

"What happened after your mum died?" Neville asked, sensing that was where I was going with my story.

"Well, the winter after she died, I didn't want to go out in the snow at all. It reminded me of her and I knew it wouldn't be the same without her, but my dad convinced me to go make a snowman. He told me my mum would be disappointed if I didn't."

"So did you build one?" Neville asked.

"I did. Actually, I made a snow woman. My dad gave me the end of a broken mop to use as hair."

Neville laughed quietly. "Sounds like a lovely snow woman."

"Oh, she was," I told him. "I wished she could have stayed there forever in my front yard, but sadly she melted. She comes back every year, though."

"She does?" Neville asked.

"Of course. I rebuild her every single year. I always have. You see, when my mum and I would build snow people, we would mix it up. We'd do men, women, children, animals and different creatures, but since mum died I've only done that one. I like to think of it as my mum being there for the holidays, but as a snow person."

Neville didn't say anything right away, but when I looked up at him, he was looking at me. "That's really sweet. And not to mention creative. I honestly don't know how you think of these things."

I smiled. "Come on, let's go feed those thestrals."

* * *

><p>"So, how are Apparation lessons going?" I asked Neville later on as we were walking out of dinner. We had talked about a lot when we had fed the thestrals, but I hadn't remembered about his Apparation lessons until now.<p>

Neville gave a half-hearted shrug. "They're alright. We've haven't had all that many lessons and so far only a few people have managed to actually Apparate. A lot of people have splinched themselves too."

"Have you done either of those?" I asked.

"No," he answered, "but I did manage to make myself dizzy after spinning in place for a while. I was frustrated that nothing was happening."

"Well, it's good that you haven't been splinched," I said, "and don't worry, you'll Apparate soon enough. It's not an easy thing to do."

"Tell me about it," he groaned. "At least I have plenty of time until April. That's when I take my test."

"You'll pass," I said confidently. "I wouldn't worry too much about it."

"Easy for you to say," Neville muttered. "I'll worry about it anyway."

I didn't answer right away, but when I did, I changed the subject. "We have an hour or two to spend together right now. What do you think we should do?" I looked at him and smiled.

Neville thought for a few seconds before shrugging. "We've already fed the thestrals today and gone to the clock tower."

"Greenhouses?" I asked, tilting my head to the side and grinning. Neville immediately brightened and I smiled even wider. I had figured he would want to go there and truthfully I did too. What better a place to spend our one year anniversary than at the place where it began?

"It was right here," Neville said when we reached the greenhouses. He dropped my hand and marched across the room to the spot where he had first asked if I wanted to be his girlfriend and also the spot where we had our first kiss.

"Right there," I said, nodding. I joined him and we stood in that spot for a little while in silence, looking at the ground as if it were something incredible special. Then again, to us it was special.

"It's too bad there's no mistletoe hanging up there this year," I said, pointing to the ceiling.

"There is some in the greenhouse somewhere," Neville said. "It's not usually kept hanging from the ceiling though." He let out a small laugh and headed to the corner of the greenhouse where the mistletoe must have been kept.

"So why was there some up there last year?" I asked, tilting my head in thought.

Neville let out another laugh, but it was more nervous this time. "Well, you weren't supposed to know this, but I put it there."

"You did? Why did you do that? Oh, I think I know! Were you trying to keep the Wrackspurts away by moving it around? Wrackspurts aren't all that intelligent. Moving plants around will keep them away. Usually."

"No, that's not why," Neville said. He turned and looked at me. He had found some mistletoe and he fiddled with it before dropping his hands to his sides. "I put it there because I had been planning on asking you to help me feed the plants for a while so I could ask you to be my girlfriend. I knew I would be too shy to just kiss you on my own, so I put the mistletoe there so you would be kind of, well-,"

"Expecting it?" I finished.

"Yeah," Neville said quietly, "and to kind of help me to actually do it without chickening out."

"Smart," I said. "That was very smart, Neville, but while I did love the mistletoe, I don't think you would have needed it. You're a lot braver than you think."

"I don't know," Neville said. "I'm scared of a lot. The Sorting Hat actually couldn't make up its mind between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. It took forever to decide. I kept thinking Hufflepuff over and over in my mind. I thought I would fit in better there, but the Sorting Hat chose Gryffindor in the end."

"I didn't know that," I said.

Neville shrugged. "I've never told anyone, not even Gran. I told her the hat chose Gryffindor right away."

I walked over to him and leaned against a table across from him. "Remember the first time you fed the thestrals with me last year? We had a conversation similar to this one."

"You told me the Sorting hat must have put me into Gryffindor for a reason," Neville said, smiling a half smile.

"Exactly," I said. "I still believe that. You thought you would fit in better with Hufflepuff, but if the Sorting Hat agreed completely then there would have been no debate. The decision would have been made right away, but clearly the hat thought you fit into Gryffindor just as much. That's why it was such a hard decision, but in the end it did decide on Gryffindor and there must have been a reason."

"Probably just because my parents were in Gryffindor," Neville shrugged.

"No, that doesn't always happen," I said. "Padma Patil is in my house and she was telling Cho Chang that both of her parents were in Gryffindor. Even her twin sister is in Gryffindor. You're not getting away with putting yourself down this time, Neville." I took his hand and when he looked up at me, I gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's so hard to win a debate against you," he finally laughed. "It's because you're so smart." He lightly tapped the side of my head.

"You are, too," I said with a smile.

"Not as-," Neville began, but he stopped when I raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I am," he said quickly. "I am a genius."

"That's better," I said. "Think positive."

Neville smiled and shook his head. He pulled me into a hug and I hugged him back as tightly as I could.

"Oh, I almost forgot." Neville let me go and held up the mistletoe. "I took this out for a reason, didn't I?"

"Yes, I believe you did," I answered, taking the plant from him. I held it above his head and gave him a peck on the cheek.

"That's not fair!" Neville cried. "That wasn't even a real kiss."

"So you're saying you imagined it?"

"I could have," Neville said.

"Would you like a do-over?"

"I would love one." He closed the distance between us and wrapped his arms around my waist. Before I could say or do anything, he had actually lifted me up onto the table. We were around the same height now so I didn't have to stand on my tiptoes to reach him.

"Where's the mistletoe?" I asked after a moment, breaking off the kiss we were in the middle of.

"We don't need it," Neville said, shaking his head. "It's probably way too infested with Wrackspurts by now anyway."

"Oh, you're right. I wasn't thinking about that."

"I'm so smart," Neville teased.

"Positive thinking," I answered before leaning in for another kiss.


	10. Chapter 10

_"I'm off again in my world." _**-Avril Lavigne (My World)**

* * *

><p>The morning after I got home for the Christmas holiday, I got up early to make my traditional snow woman. I liked to build it early on the morning after I got home every year. That way she was there for the entire Christmas holiday.<p>

"Do you need any help?" My dad asked me this every year, but I always declined.

"No," I said with a smile as I shook my head. "I like doing this by myself. You know that."

"Well, here, at least take this," he answered, handing me a piece of toast. "I know you want to get started as soon as possible so there's no hope in trying to get you to sit down and eat."

"Thank you," I said, kissing him on the cheek before dashing out the door.

I took a bite of my toast as I walked around the yard, trying to figure out where exactly to build my snow woman. Every year I liked to build her in a different spot. I mean, variety is the spice of life, isn't it?

Eventually, I decided on a spot on one side of the door in front of the dirigible plums we had growing there. I finished my toast and brushed the crumbs off my gloved hands before reaching down to start the bottom of my snow woman.

"Wait!" I heard the sudden yell from behind me and spun around.

"Neville!" I exclaimed in slight surprise. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to help you with your snow woman. If you don't mind, that is."

"No, of course not, but how did you get here?" I looked around his shoulder. "I don't see your Gran anywhere and you haven't taken your Apparation test yet. I highly doubt you ran. It's much too far."

Neville shook his head. "No, I Apparated with Gran, but we ended up a little further that way." He pointed over his shoulder. "Gran apparently couldn't remember the exact spot of your house. Anyway, I walked the rest of the way. It wasn't that far. Are you surprised, though?"

"Very," I answered. "It was very sweet of you to come."

"I'm glad I got here in time. When you told me you were building your snow woman today, I didn't think to ask what time but I figured it would be early."

"You guessed right," I said. I pointed to the front steps. "The broken mop for the hair is right there as well as the stones for the eyes and mouth and the carrot for the nose. Other than that, we just need the snow."

"Just the snow," Neville repeated with a nod.

"It's actually very easy to build a snowman," I said, kneeling down and beginning to form the snow into a ball. "At least I think so."

"Is there anything difficult about it to you?" Neville asked, kneeling down next to me and helping me with the base of the snow woman.

"No, not really," I answered. "Maybe it's just because I've been doing it for so long."

"You're a professional now," Neville said giving me a playful nudge.

"I guess you could say that. I've actually never thought of that but only because I like doing it so much."

"There's so much stuff that you like to do," Neville said as we finished forming the bottom part of the snow woman and started rolling the middle part. "Is there anything you don't like?"

"I don't really like lima beans," I answered.

"Why not?" Neville asked. "I mean, lima beans don't taste like anything so how can you like or dislike them?"

"That's exactly how," I said. "They don't taste like anything. I find them boring."

"Okay," Neville laughed, grinning. "Anything else?"

I shook my head. "No, not really. I mean, I'm sure there are plenty of things that I wouldn't like to do that I haven't had to face and hopefully I'll never have to. For instance, I don't think I'd want to get trampled by a giant, but hopefully I'll never be in a situation where there's a possibility of that happening."

"Well, I don't think anyone would want to be in that position," Neville said.

"True," I agreed as Neville lifted the snow woman's middle and placed it neatly on top of the bottom section. "One more," he said.

"One more," I repeated.

"So," he said as we started on the snow woman's head. "You don't like lima beans." "Not especially," I said, "but on the other hand they are supposed to be very good for you and my dad tends to cook them a lot so I eat them."

"Does he know you don't like them?"

I shrugged. "Maybe. I've never complained about eating them, but I've never said I loved them either."

"Why don't you tell him?"

I shrugged again. "It doesn't matter. It's not like they're going to do any harm. Like I said, they're quite good for you, so even though I don't like them, they're healthy."

"You're incredible," Neville said, shaking his head in amazement. "When I was younger, I made sure my Gran knew when I didn't like something so that she knew that I would never want to eat it again. Although, she was very insistent with spinach. You see, I don't like spinach, and that was the one thing she always tried to force me to eat."

I nodded. "It is healthy."

"I feel like a little kid again," Neville said. "You know, discussing which vegetables are good for you."

I smiled and lifted the now completed snow woman head, standing on my tiptoes to put it on the snow woman's body. "Well, do you like carrots?"

"I do," Neville nodded.

"I do too," I said, walking over to get the carrot lying on the front steps, "but unfortunately, this carrot isn't going to be a vegetable today. Today, it's going to be a nose." With that, I stuck it into the middle of the snow woman's face. "Now for the eyes, mouth and hair."

"And the arms," Neville said. "We can't forget those."

"No, of course not," I said. I looked around. "Would you mind going to grab a few twigs for the arms? I forgot to get some. Just grab any that look good."

"Sure," Neville agreed, walking off into the yard to examine the closest tree. By the time he returned I had arranged the stones into a smiling face and was just setting the broken mop piece on the snow woman's head.

"Those are perfect, Neville," I said, taking one twig from him and sticking it on one side of the snow woman. Neville did the same on the other side and then we stepped back to admire our work.

"I'd say it looks pretty good," Neville said.

"Just pretty good?" I asked.

"You're right, it's perfect actually." Neville slid his gloved hand into mine and I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Thank you so much for your help," I finally said. "It was nice to be able to do this with you."

"I was glad to help," Neville answered. "I didn't know if you'd rather have done it alone, but I had to take a chance and come over anyway. The worst that could have happened was that you'd make me leave."

"No, I'm glad you came. If I can't do this with my mum and if I had to pick someone else to help me, I'd pick you."

"What about your dad?"

"He's not really a snow person," I said. "He likes the nicer weather the best. I might have mentioned that before. Now that we're done do you want to come in for some Gurdyroot infusion? Dad makes it all the time."

"What is it, exactly?" Neville asked, looking slightly skeptical.

"It's a drink. It's purple and made from Gurdyroots."

"I figured, but-,"

"You'll have to come try it for yourself," I interrupted, pulling him towards the house. "Dad's probably making lunch, too. At least stay for that."

"Of course I will," Neville grinned, squeezing my hand.

* * *

><p>Once we returned to school after the holidays, time seemed to move faster and the end of the year seemed to be coming a lot quicker. It was always like this after the Christmas holidays. I had noticed that in my first year.<p>

Things went on relatively normal and uneventful at school once we got back. Neville and I spent the day together on my birthday in February. It was a Hogsmeade weekend and Neville bought me a new Ravenclaw scarf and a bunch of Honeyduke's candy as gifts. Then we sat inside the Three Broomsticks sharing the candy and drinking butterbeer. It was one of the nicest birthdays I'd ever had.

In March, it spread around the school very quickly that Ron had ingested a poisoned drink and had to spend some time in the hospital wing, which caused him to miss the next Quidditch match. I had actually been asked to commentate the match since Lee Jordan had already left Hogwarts, and Zacharias Smith, who had commentated last time, was playing for Hufflepuff.

"I think you'll make a great commentator," Neville said as we stood at the bottom of the stands together just before the match.

"You really think so?" I asked. "I've never done it before, but I have been practicing."

"How can you practice commentating?"

"I've been coming out here alone and making up pretend matches in my head and then commentating them. It's quite enjoyable, but I haven't done it in front of people yet."

"Well, you'll be fine and even if nobody else appreciates it, just know that I do."

"I know that," I smiled.

"Okay," Neville nodded. He rested a hand on my cheek and gave me a kiss before hurrying off to the stands.

Once the match began, I watched it with my head tilted to one side. "And that's Smith of Hufflepuff with the Quaffle," I said. "He did the commentary last time, of course, and Ginny Weasley flew into him. I think probably on purpose. It looked like it. Smith was being quite rude about Gryffindor. I expect he regrets that now he's playing them—oh, look, he's lost the Quaffle. Ginny took it from him. I do like her, she's very nice. Oh, now that big Hufflepuff player's got the Quaffle from her. I can't remember his name, it's something like Bibble, no, Buggins, or maybe-,"

"It's Cadwallader!" Professor McGonagall interrupted from beside me.

"Yes, that's it," I said with a smile. "Now Harry Potter's having an argument with his Keeper. I don't think that's going to help him find the Snitch, but maybe it's just a clever ruse. I'm not sure. Anyway, has everyone noticed that cloud directly above the Gryffindor goalposts? It looks like a Blibbering Humdinger to me. And I can see another one that looks like a Gurdyroot."

"The match, Miss Lovegood," Professor McGonagall interrupted. "Focus on the match."

"Oh, yes, of course. Well, Zacharias Smith has the Quaffle again, but now he doesn't anymore. It was taken from him by Ginny Weasley. I don't think I've seen that boy hold on to the Quaffle for more than a minute. He must be suffering from Loser's Lurgy…"

* * *

><p>"Harry!" I called after him on Monday morning. I had just seen him and wanted to hurry and give him the note in my hand before I lost him again. The match on Saturday had turned out quite horrible, ending with Harry being hit with a Bludger and landing a spot in the hospital wing, where I had just come from. I had hurried away from Neville, promising I'd meet up with him after breakfast so that he could walk me to my class.<p>

"Oh, hi, Luna," Harry said, turning to face me.

"I went to the hospital wing to find you," I said, beginning to go through my bag, "but they said you'd left." I pulled out a Gurdyroot, a toadstool, and a bag of Crumple-Horned Snorkack food and handed them all to Ron to hold. "I've been told to give you this note, Harry."

"Nice commentary last match," Ron said as he passed me back the toadstool and the Snorkack food.

"You're making fun of me, aren't you?" I asked, pausing as I reached for the Gurdyroot. "Everyone besides Neville says I was dreadful."

"No, I'm serious!" Ron said. "I heard it through the hospital wing window and I can't remember enjoying commentary more! What is this, by the way?" He held up the plant in his hand.

"It's a Gurdyroot," I answered. "You can keep it if you'd like. I've got a few of them. They're really excellent for warding off Gulping Plimpies."

"Oh, wonderful," Ron said, examining the Gurdyroot.

"Yes, well, I'll see you later." With that, I turned and headed off to breakfast. The sooner I ate, the sooner I'd get to walk to class with Neville.

* * *

><p>By mid-April, Ginny and Dean had broken up. "That's good news, isn't it?" I asked her as we sat waiting for our Charms class to start. "If you weren't all that happy with him then it's good that you broke up."<p>

"You're right," Ginny agreed, resting her chin in her palm. "I mean, he's really nice but we just started fighting all the time and he always insisted on helping me through the portrait hole into the common room and down staircases. It was as if he thought I couldn't walk."

"I'm sure he knew you could walk. You walk perfectly fine," I said seriously.

"I know that," Ginny said, blowing a puff of air out of her mouth. "I'm not elderly."

"Yes, that's obvious," I answered, nodding.

"Anyway," Ginny continued, "the relationship had just kind of run its course."

"It wasn't meant to be," I shrugged. "That's all. Now you can find the person it was meant to be with." I debated whether or not to mention Harry, but decided against it.

"Yeah," Ginny said slowly.

I looked at her and smiled, feeling that Ginny was most likely already thinking about Harry without my help.

At the end of April, a date was set for the first Apparation test, but only for students who would be seventeen by that date. Neville wouldn't be seventeen until the end of July, so he couldn't take it yet.

"I just want to get it over with," he said impatiently as we watched the group of students taking the test leave the castle. "I mean, I managed to Apparate into my hoop during the last lesson, but I'm not good at test taking. I'm going to mess it up."

"Just pretend it isn't a test," I said, shrugging. "Pretend it's practice again, or pretend you already passed the test and you're Apparating on your own for the first time to any place you'd like. Except, 'any place you'd like' has to be where they tell you to go-,"

"We have to Apparate from one end of Hogsmeade to the other."

"Okay, so pretend you want to go to the other end of Hogsmeade," I said.

"To buy you a present."

"You already bought me a birthday present. My birthday was a while ago."

"I didn't say it was a birthday present," Neville said. "Maybe it was a just because present."

"Okay, if you like buying presents just because, then that's where you can pretend you're doing. If you keep telling yourself it's a test, you'll only make yourself even more nervous."

"So, from now until I take the test in July, you want me to forget about it completely?"

"No, not forget completely," I said. "Just forget it's a test. It's going to be a completely normal, casual Apparation trip from one end of Hogsmeade to the other."

Neville nodded. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm sure it'll help. That's what I do on all my tests and it works for me. I pretend I'm simply doing my homework, except for I can't use my books or ask anyone for help."

Neville nodded again. "You really think it'll work?"

"I'm almost positive," I answered.

"Almost positive," Neville repeated.

"Completely positive," I said. "I wouldn't tell you something if I didn't mean it or didn't think it would work. I want you to pass your test as much as _you_ want to pass your test."

"I'll be able to visit you on my own."

"That's the best part, isn't it?" I asked.

"I have to agree completely," Neville answered. "Loads better than going to Hogsmeade."

"Are you sure about that?" I asked.

"Completely," he answered, smiling.

"Good," I replied.

He laughed and leaned over to kiss my temple. Everything was calm and practically perfect at that moment, but I should have remembered the saying about things being calm before the storm, because it was only a little over a month later that a group of Death Eaters were invading Hogwarts, let in by Draco Malfoy and including none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope everyone likes the chapter. Please don't forget to review and let me know what you think! Also, I entered the Twin Exchange challenge this month and the poll is up so make sure to go vote for your favorite entry! There's a link in my profile. :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_"I will never forget when we owned the night."_**-Lady Antebellum (We Owned the Night)**

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><p>On the night the Death Eaters broke in, I was lying across my bed playing with my DA Galleon. I had been taking it out regularly just to look at it and half-hoping that it would grow warm like it used to when Harry was alerting us about D.A. meetings.<p>

Suddenly, the fake coin grew warm in my hands. I almost couldn't believe it. I was actually so surprised that I almost dropped it. Instead, I calmed down enough to look at the message. It was from Hermione. _Harry's gone off to help Dumbledore with something. He wants the D.A. to patrol the corridors. He suspects Draco Malfoy is going to lead Death Eaters into the castle. Meet in the entrance hall in five minutes._

Shoving the coin back into my pocket, where it had stayed almost every day since I had first received it, I grabbed my wand and headed out the door. I made a beeline for the entrance hall, feeling like my legs couldn't take me there fast enough. I was actually feeling a little excited. Not about the fact that Death Eaters could possibly be invading the castle, but because the D.A. was going to be able to actually_ do_ something for the second time in a year.

"I got here as fast as I could," I said as I skidded to a stop between Hermione and Neville. I looked around at Ron and Ginny, who were there as well. "Is this it?" I asked.

"Looks like it," Ron said. "I don't think anyone else is going to respond to the message."

"I didn't even think to ask Cho or Michael Corner if they were planning on coming. I expect they were in the common room, but I was in too much of a hurry to notice."

"Who needs them anyway?" Ginny shrugged.

"How are we going to ward off Death Eaters? There are five of us," Neville said.

"We did it last year, didn't we?" Ron answered. "We can do it again."

"Ron's right," Hermione said, wringing her hands nervously. "Okay, how about Neville, Ron and Ginny go up to the Room of Requirement. That's where Harry thinks Malfoy is. He thinks the Death Eaters will be smuggled in through there somehow."

"Does he really?" I asked. "That's an interesting theory."

"Yes, well, you should take the map," Hermione said, handing a map to Ron, who nodded. "Luna and I," Hermione continued, "will go down to Snape's office and stand guard in case he comes out."

"Snape?" I asked.

"Harry wants us to keep an eye on him," Ron said.

"Right, so if he comes out and sees us, I'll ask about my Defense Against the Dark Arts grade," Hermione said.

"What will I say?" I asked. "It would look odd that I went with you to ask for your grade."

"We'll say we ran into each other in the hallway and got to talking about the class and you were curious about your grade as well," Hermione answered quickly. "So does everyone understand the plan?"

We all nodded.

"Okay then," Hermione continued, "let's get going. I'm not sure how much time we have if Harry's right about Malfoy."

I turned towards Neville. "Good luck," I said with a smile.

"You too," he whispered, tracing a finger down my arm. I leaned up and gave him a kiss before turning away. He grabbed my arm and pulled me back. "Wait." He kissed me again, this time harder than before. "Just in case," he said quietly.

I nodded, actually feeling too nervous to say anything else. Masking my nerves, I smiled and turned to follow Hermione as Neville hurried after Ron and Ginny in the opposite direction. I glanced over my shoulder once at Neville before forcing myself to keep going.

* * *

><p>"Maybe nothing's going to happen," I said. Hermione and I had been waiting outside of Snape's office for quite some time and there had been no action. It was almost completely silent down here.<p>

"Harry certainly seems to think so. You know, I wonder how we're going to know if the Death Eaters got in or not. We're all the way down here in the dungeons. It's not really the ideal place to find out information."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll know if there are Death Eaters in the castle," I said. "Plus, we have the Galleons. If someone from the D.A. sees or hears something, we can contact the others."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."

No sooner had she finished talking than Professor Flitwick came around the corner. "Death Eaters in the castle!" he squeaked. "You two better get back to your dorms where it's safe. Hurry! I have to get Professor Snape!"

"But I have to ask him-," Hermione began.

"Miss Granger, this is hardly the time to be asking Professor Snape questions! There are Death Eaters in the castle!" With that, the Charms professor disappeared into Snape's office. Hermione and I looked at each other, unsure of what to do.

"Let's wait here and see what happens," Hermione said. "If Snape comes out, we follow him."

A moment later, Professor Snape came charging out of the room. When he saw us, he paused. "Ah, how convenient that you two should be here. Due to the current…excitement that's going on, Professor Flitwick has collapsed. Perhaps you two can take care of that while I see to more important matters."

"But Professor-,"

"Hurry up or I shall have to give you detention," Snape said quietly before hurrying away. Hermione and I shared a look before entering the room, Professor Flitwick was lying motionless on the floor.

"I don't think he passed out," Hermione said with a small gasp. She looked as if she had realized a stupid mistake.

"You think Snape did something to him?" I asked.

"Harry has been suspicious of him lately," Hermione said. "He said Snape's been offering to help Malfoy in whatever he's doing…" She trailed off and knelt down beside Flitwick. "He's been Stunned," she said. "I'm almost sure of it. Victims of Stunning spells look different than people who have simply passed out."

"Yes, I agree," I said. "My father says-,"

"Luna, this really isn't the time," Hermione interrupted, standing up so quickly, I could have blinked and missed the movement. "We have to go help the others. If Death Eaters are really in the castle, Snape might have gone to help them!"

"How can we be sure?" I asked as we ran up flights and flights of stairs.

"I'm going by what Harry told us. He's been right about a lot of stuff that's happened tonight, so I'm going to believe him about Snape too."

I nodded as we suddenly heard an explosion from the floor above. "I hope Ginny, Ron and Neville are alright," I said.

"So do I," Hermione panted. "I really wish more members of the DA could have responded to the message. We need all the help we can get."

"It didn't mean much to them, I guess," I shrugged, "but it looks like the Order's here, so we have backup."

Members of the Order of the Phoenix were dashing through the front doors and heading upstairs, prepared to shoot spells at the first Death Eater they saw.

"Come on," Hermione said, "let's head towards the Room of Requirement. Hopefully we'll find the others up there."

We began to run for the Room of Requirement. I was keeping an eye out for any of my friends, but specifically for Neville. Death Eaters were all over the place fighting Order members. Surely Ron, Ginny and Neville would try to take on any Death Eaters they ran into as well.

"Ginny!" Hermione gasped, reaching out and grabbing the arm of the redhead as she ran by.

"Hold on." Ginny shot a spell over her shoulder at a Death Eater chasing her. He fell to the floor unconscious and Ginny turned back towards us. "I'm so glad you two are alright. What happened downstairs where you were?"

"Hide back here," Hermione said quickly, dragging Ginny and I behind a statue so that we could talk in peace for a moment. Hermione then gave a quick explanation about Snape and Flitwick as Ginny nodded.

"Where's Neville?" I asked.

"And Ron?" Hermione added. "Are they alright?"

Ginny shrugged. "I don't know. Malfoy came out of the Room of Requirement not too long ago, actually, with his Hand of Glory. You know, that thing that only gives light to the beholder. He must have been checking to see if the coast was clear because when he saw me, Ron and Neville, he set off Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. It's from Fred and George's shop. Anyway, everything went black, but we found our way to a lighted hallway, except the Death Eaters were gone. We ran into Tonks and Lupin, though and told them what had happened. That's around the time fighting started breaking out and here we are now."

"So around what time did you lose Neville and Ron?" Hermione asked.

"After we ran into Lupin and Tonks," Ginny said. "We all kind of started fighting and ran in separate directions. I have no idea where either of them are."

"Should we separate again now, do you think?" I asked.

"As much as I don't want to, I think we should," Hermione nodded. "We have to try to take down as many Death Eaters as we can."

"Bellatrix Lestrange is with them," Ginny said quietly. "I heard her laughing even though it was dark. I would recognize that laugh anywhere. It makes my hair stand on end."

That actually made my stomach drop. I wondered if Neville would try and fight Bellatrix. I knew she scared the living daylights out of him, but I also knew he hated her more than he hated anybody or anything.

"Let's go," Hermione said quietly after a short pause.

The second we stepped out from behind a statue, we separated. I immediately started searching for Neville while avoiding curses flying left and right. I had to find him and make sure he was alright. As I turned a corner, I ran into Ernie Macmillan and a few other Hufflepuff students. "Oh, hello, did you get the message on the D.A. Galleon? Are you going to help us fight?"

"Uh," Ernie said, "we're actually looking for Harry. We heard Death Eaters broke into the castle and one of them set off the Dark Mark above the Astronomy tower."

"Oh, I didn't know that. Anyway, I don't know where Harry is, but I have to go. I'm looking for Neville."

"He ran past us not too long ago. He was chasing after Bellatrix Lestrange!" Hannah Abbott spoke with wide, frightened eyes. "I never knew Neville was that brave to chase after her like that!"

I smiled. "He is quite brave, isn't he?" With a wave, I took off in the direction Hannah had indicated. It looked as if my suspicions had been confirmed about Neville. He was off chasing Bellatrix Lestrange around. I felt oddly proud of him for being able to do that when he was terribly afraid of her. _Everyone _was afraid of her of course, but Neville had a reason to be afraid. He also had a reason to hate her as much as he did.

After taking a few more turns, I saw Bellatrix but she wasn't dueling Neville. Instead, she was skipping down the hallway causing the lamps on the wall to explode as she went. I sent a Stunning spell her way, but missed. She saw the jet of light and turned around, cackling when she saw me.

"I remember you! What a coincidence that you should turn up now. I just saw your boyfriend!"

"Where's Neville?" I asked, holding my wand higher.

Bellatrix simply cackled, but I hadn't missed the way her eyes had flickered to the next hallway. Immediately, I turned to run. I didn't even want to fight her. I was more interested in finding Neville and helping him.

Bellatrix started causing lamps and pieces of the wall to explode again. I tried to avoid the debris, but when a lamp right above my head exploded, pieces of stone and glass flew at me. I turned my face and squeezed my eyes shut, but they still scratched against my cheek. I kept running despite the stinging. Having a scratched up cheek was a lot better than having the glass go in my eye.

Turning the corner, I scanned the people occupying it for Neville. Finally, I saw him kneeling on the ground by the wall and clutching his stomach. At least he was alive. I reached him within seconds and knelt down beside him, placing one hand on his back. "Neville," I whispered.

"Luna, you're alright," he said, almost laughing with joy.

"I'm fine, but what about you?"

"Bellatrix used Sectumsempra. She got my stomach and my leg."

"Let me see," I said gently, tugging on his shoulder. I could already see that his leg was bleeding terribly, but I wanted to check the damage of his stomach. I didn't even care that there was a battle going on all around us.

"I'll need to go to the hospital wing," he whispered, "but I'll be alright." He pulled his arm away. His whole hand was covered in blood from where it had soaked through his shirt.

"It's alright," I whispered calmly, actually trying to calm myself down as well. "It could have been a lot worse and you were so brave. Hannah Abbott said she saw you chasing after Bellatrix."

"I did," Neville said with a small laugh. "I couldn't help it. I kind of forgot how scared I am of her."

Before I could answer, Malfoy and a group of Death Eaters that included Bellatrix ran past us and through the door to the Astronomy tower. Lupin and Tonks were right behind them, but they didn't make it in time. The last Death Eater through the door cast a curse over his shoulder, blocking the door with some kind of barrier.

"What is that?" I asked.

Standing up determinedly and despite his injuries, Neville ran at the barrier, but when he reached it, it through him up into the air.

"Wingardium Leviosa," I said, pointing my wand at the airborne Neville. He floated in the air for a second before I gently lowered him to the ground.

"Thanks," he said breathlessly.

"What's going on?" Ron asked, running up to us with Ginny and Hermione. "We saw Malfoy running this way."

"He went up to the Astronomy tower with a bunch of Death Eaters," Lupin said.

"Ernie MacMillan said someone had set off the Dark Mark over the Astronomy tower," I said.

Everyone looked surprised. "Why, who's dead?" Ron asked.

"No one that we know of," Tonks said.

"Yet," Lupin whispered, looking past the magical barrier and up the stairs.

Just then Snape hurried past, not even noticing us huddled at the bottom of the staircase. He walked right through the barrier as if it wasn't even there. With a frown, Lupin tried to follow him, but he was thrown up into the air just as Neville had. I used Wingardium Leviosa to safely lower him to the ground.

"How did he do that?" Ron asked angrily.

"He _is_ the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, Ron," Hermione said.

"Snape knows a lot of things we don't," Lupin added darkly. "Anyway, I don't think there's anything we can do until they come back. I'm sure Snape went up there to chase after those Death Eaters."

"Harry thinks he's up to something," Hermione said.

"Harry always thinks Snape's up to something," Lupin said with a shake of his head.

"He Stunned Professor Flitwick," I said.

"How can you be sure?" Tonks asked.

"Luna and I were-," Hermione began, but she didn't get the opportunity to finish because Snape and Malfoy came running down the stairs followed by the Death Eaters.

Lupin and Tonks started firing spells at the Death Eaters so Neville, Ron, Hermione Ginny and I started doing the same. There was another explosion above my head and I heard Bellatrix's cackle as stone and debris fell down on my head. I wasn't hurt, though and I managed to see Neville send a very good Stunner at Bellatrix although he did miss.

"Well done, Neville," I said, taking his hand. He didn't answer me. Instead, he slowed down and leaned against the wall, breathing heavily and clutching his side.

"It hurts too much," he said quietly.

"Let's get you up to the hospital wing," I said.

Neville nodded and I grabbed his arm, helping him down the hallway. "Sorry," he whispered.

"For what?" I asked.

"I tried to get Bellatrix. She almost hurt you. Did she do this?" He reached up and gently touched my cheek. I had forgotten about the scratches from earlier. .

"Yes, but they don't hurt as much anymore. They can be fixed very quickly. Right now, I think we need to worry about you. By the way, you were brilliant."

Neville actually grinned. "I think the D.A. really helped."

"I think so, too," I answered. "I mean, I was really sad that it was over, but we all still have each other, don't we? Me, you, Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione."

"Nobody else came to help," Neville said, sounding hurt.

"No, but maybe they don't really matter," I said. "It shows how cowardly they are." We finally reached the hospital wing without running into any more Death Eaters. I hoped that they had all been driven out of the castle.

"What happened to you?" Madam Pomfrey asked, running over at once.

"Sectumsempra on his leg and stomach," I reported.

Madam Pomfrey immediately grabbed Neville's other arm and sat him down on the closest bed. "Sit here," she said, "while I get what I need to fix this."

I sat next to Neville on the end of the bed. I noticed only one other bed occupied about halfway across the room.

"I'm surprised but thankful that more people weren't hurt," Madam Pomfrey said when she returned with some bandages, cleaning potion and her wand.

"Who's that?" I asked, pointing to the other bed. The person looked terribly injured. His face was bloody and scratched. I could make out red hair, which caused me to suspect it was one of Ron's brothers but I didn't recognize him.

"Bill Weasley," Madam Pomfrey said sadly. She started with Neville's leg and began cleaning the blood off. He hissed in pain as it stung his skin.

"He's not-?" Neville began, looking at Madam Pomfrey.

"No, he's alive, but he's very lucky. He was attacked by Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf."

Neville paled and I blinked a few times. "Did you try cleaning his cuts with garlic and water?"

"Garlic? Isn't that for vampires?" Neville asked.

"Oh, no it can be used for werewolf bites too. It-,"

"I cleaned them with regular cleaning potion," the nurse answered. "There is no cure for werewolf bites. I would most certainly know about it if there was one."

I didn't say anything more until I asked a question that was bound to come up sooner or later. "Is he going to be a werewolf now?"

"No," Madam Pomfrey said. "He'll have some werewolf tendencies, but tonight isn't a full moon, so he'll be alright."

"Does his family know?" I asked, as Madam Pomfrey finished cleaning and bandaging Neville's leg and moved on to cleaning his stomach.

"His parents are on their way. Nymphadora Tonks knows and she's alerting the rest of the Weasley children. The ones that are here, anyway."

I nodded as I made my way over to the windowsill, where a flowerpot was sitting containing a bright yellow tulip. I picked it up and carried it to Bill's bedside table, where I set it down. "There," I said. "Now when he wakes up, he'll see something cheerful."

Madam Pomfrey and Neville both gave me a smile. The nurse finished bandaging Neville up and instructed him to lay down before she hurried over to me. "Let's just fix up these scratches, dear."

Within a matter of seconds, my cheek was fine again. I sat down on Neville's bed and held his hand. "You look tired."

"I am," he said quietly.

"Go to sleep," I said.

He looked back up at me and didn't say a word, but I could tell he was being stubborn.

"Sleep," I said again. "The battle's over now. Everything's fine. There's nobody for you to hex." I smiled down at him and used my free hand to rub his forehead. "You really are so brave, Neville," I whispered.

"I love you, Luna," he said sleepily.

I smiled. "I love you too, Neville."

Just after Neville fell asleep, the doors were flung open and a bunch of people ran in at once: Professor McGonagall, Lupin, Tonks, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George and Hermione. Ginny let out a small cry when she saw Bill and lead the way to his bed. Making sure he was still sleeping, I dropped Neville's hand and joined everyone around Bill.

"Your parents are on their way," Madam Pomfrey said to Ginny.

I looked around. Ron, Fred and George were all silent and pale. Hermione looked scared and Ginny was still sniffling. Madam Pomfrey explained to them what she had explained to Neville and me: Bill wouldn't be a full werewolf, but he would have some tendencies.

The doors opened once more and everyone turned, expecting to see Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, but it was Harry, looking extremely pale.

"Harry!" Hermione gasped, running to give her best friend a hug; a hug that he returned half heartedly.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Lupin asked, stepping forward.

"Dumbledore's dead," Harry answered. "Snape killed him."


	12. Chapter 12

_"Of course, I don't know, but I think it'll get darker before it gets lighter." _**-**_**The Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz**_

* * *

><p>"Dead? What do you mean dead?" Lupin asked as Tonks gasped and covered her mouth with her hands.<p>

"Snape killed him. He used Avada Kedavra at the top of the Astronomy tower. It probably wouldn't have mattered what spell he used, actually. Dumbledore was blasted right off."

"Dumbledore's always trusted Snape," Professor McGonagall said, "and the rest of us always wondered _why_ he trusted him so much."

Suddenly, the doors burst open and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley burst in, along with Fleur Delacour. I had forgotten that Harry had mentioned Fleur's engagement to Bill. I hadn't even thought that she would be coming.

"Oh, Bill," Mrs. Weasley said. She rushed to her son's side and began rubbing his forehead. "He was so handsome, too."

"Was?" Fleur asked, still staring down at her fiancé. "He still is, is he not?"

"Of course he is," Mrs. Weasley stuttered. "I just—"

"You didn't theenk I would want to marry him if he looked like thees?" Fleur asked. "Well, I do. I can handle the scars."

Mrs. Weasley paused and she and Fleur shared a look before Mrs. Weasley spoke again, after sharing a quick glance with her husband. "Our great Auntie Muriel has a beautiful goblin-made tiara that would be perfect. It would look so lovely with your hair."

"Yes, that would be very nice," Fleur agreed with a tiny smile. "Thank you."

"See?" Tonks suddenly hissed, turning to Lupin. "She doesn't care that he's been bitten."

"This is different," Lupin whispered. "Bill won't be a full werewolf."

"I still don't care," Tonks said. "I don't, really I don't!"

"She's made her mind up, Remus," Mr. Weasley said.

Lupin didn't answer and there was a pause as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley both looked around to see the rest of us staring back between them and Lupin and Tonks. I had a slight smile on my face. It was nice to see something lovely happen during this mess.

"Mum," Fred began, "not to kill the moment or anything, but Dumbledore's dead."

"No, that's not possible," Mrs. Weasley said at once.

"Dead?" Mr. Weasley asked, his eyes wide.

"Dead," Harry said. "It was Snape. He used the killing curse and blasted him right off the Astronomy tower."

"No," Fleur whispered with a gasp.

Harry nodded. "I was just about to ask what happened with everyone else while I was off with Dumbledore." He sank down on a bed and looked around the room.

"Well," Ginny began, "Neville, Ron and I went to wait outside the Room of Requirement. Malfoy came out, just like you said. All the Death Eaters were following him. When he saw us, though, he set off Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder. None of us could see except Malfoy of course. He had his Hand of Glory, which was providing him light."

"Then they ran into me and Tonks," Lupin said, "and told us what was happening."

"We started fighting after that and we lost track of each other," Ron added. "Neville was hurt. I don't know with what exactly-,"

"Sectumsempra," I said, glancing at the bed where Neville was sleeping a few feet away. "I found him not too long after it happened."

"So," Harry said, looking from me to Hermione, "if Ginny, Ron and Neville were in front of the Room of Requirement, then you were—"

"In front of Snape's office, yes," Hermione said. "But I was so stupid. Luna and I planned to ask Snape about our Defense Against the Dark Arts grades if he came out of his office. We stood out there for an hour or two before Professor Flitwick came running down the hallway yelling about Death Eaters in the castle. He ran into Snape's office and then Snape came out and said Professor Flitwick had collapsed and we should help him, but-,"

"We don't think he actually collapsed," I said, glancing at Hermione. "Actually, Hermione noticed it first and I had to agree with her. Snape definitely Stunned him."

"He probably did it to get him out of the way after he had found out the Death Eaters were in the castle. Then he went off to help them," Harry said. "He must have gone straight to the Astronomy Tower."

"Maybe not straight there," I said. "I don't know, I mean, after Hermione and I left his office, we ran upstairs and found Ginny and she caught us up on what was going on. Then, I ran off and found Neville and soon after that, Malfoy ran up to the Astronomy tower with a bunch of Death Eaters and Snape came a few minutes later."

"When they came back down," Tonks said, "I just thought Snape and Malfoy were being chased by the Death Eaters. We had no idea Harry and Dumbledore had been up there as well and we had no idea that Snape and Malfoy were actually working _with_ them."

"Yes, I thought the same," Lupin said. "We just let them go right past."

"Oh, and don't forget the barrier," Hermione said. "She turned to Harry. "When Malfoy ran up with all the Death Eaters, the last one through blocked the doorway with a curse."

"That's why we couldn't get through to chase after them," Tonks said.

"But Snape went right through it?" Harry asked.

"Yeah, he did," Tonks said.

"I'll bet you need a Dark Mark to get through it," Harry said, standing up and pacing.

"So," Mrs. Weasley said after a short pause, "what are we going to do about Dumbledore?"

"What do you mean?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"I think she means a funeral," I said.

"There is going to be one, isn't there?" Harry asked.

"I—well, it depends. We'll have to see if we can make some arrangements for a place and-,"

"What about here?" Harry asked.

"Bury him here at Hogwarts?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Harry answered.

"Well, he did always want to be buried here…" Professor McGonagall looked around at everyone.

"Then I think he should be buried here," I said. "If that's what he wanted, then why not? And I think a lot of people will want to go."

"Yeah, all of the students will want to—to say goodbye," Harry said quietly.

"Yes, I think they'd like that very much and I think Dumbledore would be happy with that decision as well." I smiled around at everyone. "What does everyone else think?"

The others nodded in agreement and Professor McGonagall gave a small smile. "Alright, then, we'll have the funeral here in a few days. I'll take care of everything." With a nod, she left the room, most likely to start planning the funeral.

After Professor McGonagall left, the room fell into silence. I made my way back over to Neville and sat in a chair by his bed, holding his hand. I was exhausted, but I couldn't leave Neville just yet. I was almost positive I could get Madam Pomfrey to allow me to spend the night in the hospital wing. I'd just have to ask her.

I brought my knees to my chest and continued to hold Neville's hand as, one by one, the room emptied of people.

"Will you be staying the night?" Madam Pomfrey asked, cleaning up Bill's bedside table.

"Yes, if that's alright," I said, looking up. I was surprised that she had been the one to suggest it.

She gave a small nod before heading back into her office. Tucking my legs under me, I rested my head on the arm of the chair and finally let myself sleep.

* * *

><p>"I slept through the whole thing?" Neville asked the next day. I was sitting on the end of his bed, drawing a picture of the hospital wing windowsill with its bright flowers and the puffy white clouds in the sky outside.<p>

I shrugged. "You didn't miss much. All that happened was that Harry barged in here announcing that Snape killed Dumbledore."

"Was he doing a lot of yelling?" Neville asked. "Because then I'll be really surprised that I slept through it. It's kind of hard to sleep when Harry's yelling."

"No, he was kind of in shock. We all were. The funeral's going to be tomorrow, though. Harry and I thought it would be best if Dumbledore was buried here at Hogwarts and everyone agreed. Professor McGonagall said it was what he wanted."

"Yeah, that sounds nice," Neville said. "Where else would he be buried, anyway?"

"I don't know," I shrugged. "He could have been buried where he was born."

"Yeah, but honestly, I can't picture him anywhere else but Hogwarts."

"That's because you didn't _know_ him anywhere else but at Hogwarts," I said with a laugh. "Unless, of course, you saw him frequently over the summer."

"No, I didn't," Neville laughed, "but you're right. I've always just associated Dumbledore with Hogwarts."

I shrugged. "You aren't the only one."

"He loved Hogwarts, though," Neville said. "That's why he should be buried here."

"Yes, I agree," I answered. "I agree completely."

* * *

><p>Neville was released from the hospital wing in the early morning on the day of the funeral. I had stayed in the hospital wing with him for another night, so after he was ready to go, I helped him down to the front lawn of Hogwarts, where the funeral was being held.<p>

"I'm sure I could walk on my own," Neville assured me as we slowly made our way across the lawn to the rows of white seats set up by the lake.

"I'm sure you could, but I don't want to take any chances. Your leg is still kind of weak, according to Madam Pomfrey. And anyway, I don't mind helping you."

"I don't mind it either, really," Neville said with a smile.

I helped him into a seat on the end of a row in the middle before slipping past him and sitting in the seat next to him. I took the opportunity to scan the crowd.

"There are a lot of people here," Neville noted, obviously scanning the crowd as well.

"Yes, but that's expected. Dumbledore was very popular, as you can see."

"Not surprising," Neville said, looking sad. "He was brilliant."

"Very," I agreed with a sad smile.

Soon after that, the funeral began. Hagrid carried Dumbledore's body to the front and placed him in a marble casket. Then, a small and very old wizard from the Ministry made a speech. It was all very touching. About halfway through, tears began spilling down my cheeks and I couldn't stop them. I sniffled and Neville glanced over at me.

"It'll be okay, Luna," he whispered, and I noticed that his eyes were teary as well. He took my hand and held it.

"Things are going to be so different," I whispered. "I can't imagine what things are going to be like. Things are going to get worse with You-Know-Who and now Dumbledore's gone."

"I know what you mean," Neville said. "Things felt so safe with him around. Like You-Know-Who couldn't get us as long as Dumbledore was here."

I nodded. "Which really isn't true. You-Know-Who would have done his thing no matter what."

"It just seems more real now, doesn't it?" Neville whispered. "Things really are about to get a whole lot worse."

"Harry's not even coming back to school next year," I said, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand.

"How do you know that?"

"Ginny told me. He broke up with her this morning because for one thing, he's going to be off looking for something that will help destroy You-Know-Who and secondly, he doesn't want You-Know-Who to realize they have a close relationship and go after her."

Neville sighed. "I suppose Ron and Hermione will go with him."

I nodded. "Most likely."

"So, it'll be me, you and Ginny left of the DA. Well, not technically, but you know what I mean. We're the only three left who want to keep going with it. It meant something to us."

I nodded again. "Yeah, it'll be the three of us."

"Luna," Neville whispered as the funeral ended, "I think it's up to us, then."

"It's up to us to do what?"

"Things are going to get a lot worse, aren't they? We're fairly sure of that."

"Yes," I said slowly. "So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that with Harry, Ron and Hermione gone, you, Ginny and I are going to have to hold the fort here. There are going to be changes and while Harry, Ron and Hermione are off doing whatever it is they have to do, we're going to have to manage things around here and fight off anything You-Know-Who tries to put on us the best we can. Agreed?"

"Agreed," I said at once, squeezing his hand. "Yes, I rather like the idea of, what was the phrase you used? Oh, yes, 'holding down the fort'."

Neville nodded. "It gets more serious by the year, doesn't it? The things we have to do."

"Yes, but I think we're prepared. We're only going to get better at it. Fighting, I mean. Fighting off You-Know-Who."

"I guess so, but it makes me a little nervous about what's coming. I mean, it has to get darker before it gets lighter, doesn't it? You know, worse before it gets better?"

"Positive thinking, Neville," I reminded him.

"Right." He took a breath and nodded.

"Think of it this way," I said. "It may have to get worse before it gets better, but it _will_ get better eventually. It has to."

Neville nodded. "It has to," he repeated. "It has to," he said again, his voice a whisper.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Wow, we're already going to be starting Deathly Hallows next chapter! Please leave a review and let me know what you think or if you have any comments or suggestions. I love reading them and they make my day!**


	13. Chapter 13

_"I'm just saying it's fine by me if you never leave and we can lay like this forever, it's fine by me."_**-Andy Grammer (Fine By Me)**

* * *

><p>"What's this?" I asked my dad as I entered the kitchen one morning during the summer. I picked up the fancy gold and white paper lying on the kitchen table.<p>

"We've been invited to Bill Weasley's wedding," my dad said as I read the invitation.

"That was very kind of them to invite us," I said, setting the invitation down and tracing the gold, flowery design with my finger.

"Well, we are practically neighbors, and you're friends with Ginny, aren't you?"

"Yes," I answered. "Ginny has been a very good friend."

"You're friends with Ron, too, aren't you?"

"Yes, I suppose I am," I answered.

"I'm sure it'll be fun. Crowded, most likely. They have a big family, I expect."

"Yeah, plus all their friends," I nodded.

"You might want to make sure there'll be some yellow daisies in the garden," dad said, looking up from the sink where he was washing a pile of Gurdyroots. "They always look wonderful in your hair and we of course want to wear lots of yellow."

"Of course," I answered, heading for the door. "I'll go check right now."

* * *

><p>"Oh, look, a garden gnome!" I exclaimed as my dad and I walked towards the tent in the Weasley's back yard. One of the little creatures had just crawled out of the garden and was looking around.<p>

"How wonderful!" my dad said with a smile.

I leaned forward and reached out my hand to gently pat the gnome on the head, but at the last second, he bit me. I retracted my hand and frowned slightly. "Well, that hurt," I said as we approached the entrance to the tent.

"Don't worry, Luna, gnome saliva is very healthy and beneficial."

"I'm sure it is," I answered.

"Luna," Ron said when he saw us. Next to him was another boy with curly red hair.

"Hello, Ron, Harry," I said.

"How did you know it was me?" Harry asked. He lowered his voice. "I'm supposed to be in disguise."

"It was just the expression on your face."

"You look very…bright," Ron noted.

"It's good luck to wear yellow to a wedding," I said.

"One of your garden gnomes bit Luna," my dad said proudly.

"Oh, sorry about that," Ron said quickly. "I can-,"

"No, no," dad said. "I would encourage everyone to get bitten by a garden gnome. As I was just telling Luna, their saliva is very beneficial."

"Er, alright," Ron answered. "I'll show you to your seats then. Neville's here, did you know that?"

"I knew he was coming," I said. "We've been writing all summer, of course."

"I figured," Ron said, "but he's already here. You're seated next to him, actually."

"Oh, that's great," I said happily. "Is his Gran here too?"

"No, he came on his own. He just passed his Apparation test and he's been excited to actually go somewhere, I guess," Ron shrugged.

"Oh, yes," I said, "I heard."

"Well, here we are," Ron said, stopping at the end of a row. Neville was sitting in the middle, looking off in the other direction at the decorations hanging around the tent.

"Thank you, Ron," I said, smiling at him. I started off down the row of seats, having to squeeze by a few people who were already sitting before I got to Neville. Smiling, I sat down and cleared my throat. He jumped and looked at me.

"Luna!" he said happily, giving me a hug. He looked as if he were about to kiss me, but then he saw my dad standing there. "Mr. Lovegood, it's good to see you again."

"I've told you," my dad said with a smile, "call me Xeno."

"Xeno, right," Neville said.

"It's a pleasure to see you, too, Neville," my dad said, with a smile.

"The decorations really look wonderful, don't they?" I said.

My dad and Neville both nodded in agreement. "You both look very bright," Neville said.

"Oh, it's good luck to wear yellow to a wedding," I said. "Have I ever told you that?"

"No," Neville answered, "you haven't."

"Yes, it's an ancient tradition that less and less people seem to be observing," my dad added. "Luna and I seem to be the only ones dressed in yellow here."

"At least we won't get lost," I said. "If anyone's looking for us, they'll be able to find us pretty quickly."

A few minutes after that, the wedding began. Bill looked really happy and Fleur looked beautiful. Ginny was the maid of honor and she smiled at me and Neville when she walked by.

"I really like the dress Fleur chose for Ginny," I said. "It goes well with her hair."

Neville nodded. "So, have you met Ron's Great Aunt Muriel?"

"No, why?"

"She's very…opinionated. And she's not afraid to say what she's thinking. I ran into her almost as soon as I got here. I was talking to Ron and he had no choice but to introduce me to her."

"What did she say?"

"She said 'You're Neville Longbottom? Augusta Longbottom's shy grandson'?"

"And then what?" I asked.

"She actually told me she hadn't seen me since I was very little and I seemed a lot different. I'm not sure if she meant in a good way or a bad way, though."

"In a good way. There's no possible way that you've changed for the worse."

Neville shrugged. "Maybe you think so, but who knows what's going through that old woman's head?"

I shrugged, but didn't get to answer. The same Ministry wizard who had spoken at Dumbledore's funeral was marrying Bill and Fleur and he had just gotten up to speak.

I watched with a smile as the wedding went on and by the time Bill and Fleur were officially married, I was grinning widely. I turned to look at Neville. "Do you think that could be us one day?"

He blinked. "Us?"

"Yes," I answered, feeling slightly disappointed that he looked so surprised at the idea. "You seem surprised."

"What? Oh, no, it's just-," he stopped talking and looked down at the ground. I could see him blushing.

"What is it?" I asked.

He looked back up at me nervously. "It's just that I've already thought of that before."

"You have?" I asked as everyone stood up so that room could be made for the dance floor.

Neville nodded and held out his hand. I took it and he led me to the dance floor. "I've actually thought about it quite a few times," he finally said, blushing again.

"Really?" I couldn't help but smile. It was sweet, really that Neville had thought about the possibility of one day getting married.

He nodded again as we started dancing. "Yeah, I mean, I don't want to be with any other girl but you, Luna."

"You say that now," I said, "but you could change your mind."

"Never," he assured me.

"I wouldn't be mad if you did," I continued. "I would understand. It would just mean that it wasn't meant to-,"

"Luna," he interrupted and his tone made me stop. He sounded slightly hurt. I felt terrible. I usually didn't act so insecure. I wasn't even trying to act that way now. I just knew that things weren't always perfect in reality. My head may be in the clouds a lot of the time, but I'm not completely unaware of things.

"Sorry," I whispered.

"You mean to say," Neville continued, "that you wouldn't be upset at all if we broke up?"

I didn't answer right away. Finally, I took a deep breath. "I didn't say I wouldn't be upset. I said I wouldn't be mad. I wouldn't hate you. If we broke up, I'd be sad, but I'd just keep telling myself that it happened for a reason."

"We're not breaking up," Neville said. "At least, _I_ don't want to."

"I don't want to either," I said with a smile.

Neville twirled me around before pulling me close again. "What if we don't make it through the war?" he asked and I could sense the fear in his voice. It was the first time I had heard fear in his voice since last year and I knew he was still scared no matter how much he tried to act like he wasn't.

I swallowed. I wanted to say we'd both make it, but that wouldn't be true. Like I said, I knew that things in reality weren't always perfect. "If we don't make it, then we don't make it," I said.

Neville paled, but then he composed himself. "Well, let's try our best not to die, then, alright? There's not much else we can do except that."

I nodded. "Of course. I wasn't planning on walking in the direct line of a Killing Curse anyway."

Neville let out a quiet chuckle. "Good, because neither was I."

The slow song morphed into a fast one and I smiled excitedly. "Oh, this is such a good song!" With that, I started dancing. It was a dance my parents had taught me. I stood in one spot, spinning around and flapping my hands in the air.

"Er, Luna," Neville said. As I spun, I could see him standing near me, looking nervous. His hands were in his pockets and he looked like he was unsure of what he should be doing.

"Join in, Neville!" I said.

"But what exactly is this…dance you're doing?"

"I don't know if it has a name. If it does, I don't know it. My parents taught it to me. It's fairly easy."

Before I knew it, my dad was standing beside me, dancing as well. "Very good, Luna dear!" he said. "Come on, Neville, aren't you going to dance too?"

"Uh, I think I'll go get a drink. Do you want anything?"

"No, I'm fine," my dad said.

"I'd like a drink," I said, still spinning.

"What do you want?" Neville asked, backing away. "Butterbeer? Water?"

"Surprise me."

My dad and I stopped dancing a little while after Neville had left. "If we go get a table do you think Neville will be able to find us again?" I asked.

"I'm sure he will," my dad said, leading the way to a table right on the edge of the dance floor. "Right here should be fine. We can keep a lookout for him this way."

I nodded as I sat down. "Have you been enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, I was having a nice little chat with that Weasley cousin with the red, curly hair." My dad pointed across the tent.

"That's Harry, Dad," I told him. "Did you hear me say hello when we got here?"

"No," my dad said, sounding surprised. "I must have been thinking about something else. Is that really Harry Potter?"

"Yes, I expect he's in disguise for safety reasons."

"Ah, of course," dad said, nodding.

Finally, Neville came back with two butterbeers; one for me and one for him. "Sorry it took so long," he whispered in my ear as he sat next to me. "I overheard Muriel talking to her friend." He stopped and looked at my dad, who was busy watching the dancers and tapping his foot to the music, smiling absentmindedly. "She was saying your dad looks like a fried egg."

"A fried egg?" I asked.

"Yes," Neville answered. "I told her it was good luck to wear yellow to a wedding."

"You told her that?"

Neville nodded. "She sniffed and said 'I must have missed that memo'."

"Yes, she must've," I agreed.

We sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the music and each other's company before Ginny came over and took my arm. "I've given up trying to teach Harry how to dance. It may be impossible, actually, so I'm going to have to steal Luna away from you, Neville." She looked at me. "I saw you dancing earlier and I need someone who actually knows how to dance without worrying about what other people are thinking."

"Okay," I said, standing up.

"I'll return her later, Neville," Ginny said.

"Take your time," Neville answered, smiling and drinking from his butterbeer.

Ginny dragged me right into the middle of the crowd of people on the dance floor. It was starting to get dark now and lanterns all around the tent were turning on and making everything glow. It was very pretty.

"How do you do that?" Ginny asked, peering at me as I started dancing again.

"Oh, it's simple," I said. I gave her a few instructions on how to do it and she caught on quickly.

"I couldn't get Neville to do it with me," I said. "I don't think he's much of a dancer."

"Must be a boy thing," Ginny said. "Come on, now I'm going to teach you a few of my moves."

I don't know how long Ginny and I were dancing for. It seemed like a few minutes, but it could have been an hour. It was an example of how funny time could be, playing tricks on people like that.

Another slow song came on and Ginny and I stopped dancing. "Well, I suppose I'd better go find Harry again," Ginny said. "I'll put up with him stepping on my toes because I'm not going to sit down during every slow dance."

"I'll go find Neville," I said, smiling.

As we turned to go in opposite directions, we both froze mid-turn as there was a scream. A second later, I saw why. A wispy white object was zooming towards the tent. It came inside and people moved out of the way as it floated to a stop right in the middle of the dance floor. Ginny and I backed up a few steps, but we still had a clear view of the wispy smoke that I realized was a Patronus in the shape of a lynx. It opened its mouth and spoke in an oddly familiar voice.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming." The last few words echoed throughout the silent tent as the Patronus disappeared. When it did, it seemed to leave a sort of darkness behind, even though the lanterns were still lit. It was then that the pandemonium broke out. People were screaming and running as black shapes started flying throughout the tent. It was the Death Eaters.

I lost Ginny in the crowd and assumed she had gone to find Harry. I wandered towards where I had last seen Neville, trying to stay as calm as I could despite the fact that I was being jostled by people trying to escape. I began to walk more quickly as I grew more nervous. The lanterns were tipping over and exploding, sending huge flames into the air. I ducked under someone's arm, trying to reach Neville and my dad.

I gasped as a Death Eater materialized in front of me. I ducked under his arm and tried to run, but he grabbed me by the hair. Flinging my arm backwards, I managed to poke him in the eye. He let me go and I stumbled forward, thankfully right into Neville's arms. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking me all over.

"I'm alright. What about you?"

"I'm fine, but come on, let's get out of here."

"What about everyone else?" I asked.

Neville looked like he hated answering the way he did. "We can't stay and help them all. We'll have to trust that they'll be alright. Now, come on. Your dad's waiting over by the edge of the tent." Grabbing my hand, Neville pulled me around the corner where my dad was waiting anxiously. I reached out with my free hand and grabbed my dad's arm. Once I had, he Apparated the three of us back to my house, where we would be safe.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I know Neville didn't go to the wedding in the book, but honestly, I don't see why he wouldn't be there and I felt it just fit this story better if he was invited. Anyway, don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think!**


	14. Chapter 14

_"You wonder when and where and how you're gonna make it. You know you can if you get the chance."_**-Jordin Sparks (One Step at a Time)**

* * *

><p>I almost fell over as we roughly appeared back at my house, but Neville steadied me.<p>

"Sorry for the rough landing," my dad said as I sat down on the front steps. "I was trying to get out of there as fast as I could."

"No one's blaming you for that," Neville said, sitting down beside me. My dad looked around before searching through the skies as if looking for anything dangerous. Then, he went back inside, apparently deciding nobody had followed us.

Neville and I sat in silence on the front steps, both staring absentmindedly off in the distance.

"We're not going to make it through the war," Neville suddenly said, looking terrified.

"Neville, relax," I said. "We made it out of that, didn't we?" I gestured with my head in the direction of the Burrow.

"Yeah, but it was close," Neville said.

"I imagine there will be a lot of close calls, but as long as we don't actually die, I'm glad," I said.

"Me too," Neville said, grabbing my hand. The simple action seemed to comfort him because his breathing returned to normal and he calmed down.

"So, the Minister's dead," I said after a few minutes.

"You-Know-Who's taken over the Ministry," Neville muttered. "This is where it gets really bad. He's going to take over everything, now, including Hogwarts."

"Do you still want to keep the D.A. going?"

"Yes," Neville said, nodding fiercely.

"I thought you would say that."

"Dumbledore's Army is supposed to be about doing something real," Neville said. "It's supposed to be about fighting off You-Know-Who whenever the time comes."

"And the time is now," I finished, nodding.

"Exactly," Neville said. "With Harry, Ron and Hermione gone, and if no one else will come help us-,"

"It's just you, me and Ginny," I said. "We talked about this at Dumbledore's funeral. The three of us will stick together."

Neville nodded and we sat in silence for a little while more. I slid closer and wrapped both of my arms around one of his, resting my head on his shoulder. "Are you scared?"

He looked down at me and smiled a small smile. "Very. Are you?"

"Yes," I answered quietly.

He shifted even closer to me and kissed my temple. We fell into a comfortable silence and stayed like that for a while wondering if the amount of times we'd get to do this, or even be together, were numbered.

* * *

><p>The train ride back to Hogwarts started off just like any other. I sat with Neville and Ginny, of course. We played Exploding Snap and just talked. Mostly, we talked about what was coming at Hogwarts. We had recently heard the news that Snape had been made headmaster. Even before that, we all had known it would be different, but we weren't exactly sure <em>how<em> different.

Ginny had come up with the idea for she and I to start learning how to Apparate. She had actually thought of it about a month ago, just after the wedding. She made the very good point that Voldemort had taken over the Ministry so they most likely weren't concerned about underage people Apparating anymore. When she asked her parents for lessons, her mother said no. She said it was too risky, especially now that they were being tracked ever since Harry had left the wedding. So, instead, Ginny had come over to my house nearly every day, where the two of us learned how to Apparate under the instruction of my dad and sometimes Neville.

So now I knew how to Apparate, but I hadn't officially passed my test. I didn't think I'd be able to take it in February, when I turned seventeen, at the rate things were going, but I hoped I'd be able to take it after the war ended and things were better again. _If_ that happened, of course. I wanted to stay positive, but I was now having moments where my positivity was faltering and I didn't like it one bit.

Neville tapped the deck of cards against the table a few times as he looked out the window.

"Are you going to shuffle them, or what?" Ginny asked.

"I was just wondering what Harry might be doing right about now," Neville said.

"Yeah, I've been wondering that a lot," Ginny said. "We know they got away from the wedding, but we don't know where they went. My family's being tracked. They're watching our every move. It's like living in a fish bowl."

"That must be awful," I said. "And as for Harry, I'd like to think he's sitting somewhere nice and warm with plenty of food. If I think of it that way, it keeps me from worrying too much."

"It's weird, not having them here," Neville said, still staring out the window.

"Yeah," Ginny sighed. "But hey, we're the leaders now. We're the leaders of the D.A."

"Leaders," I said, "what a nice title."

"I've never really been a leader," Neville said, finally looking away from the window.

"Well, you are one now. We all are," Ginny said. "So let's show everyone that we're great leaders." She had that typical determined look in her eyes and it made me smile.

"For Harry," I said, "and for Dumbledore."

"Dumbledore's Army," Neville said, smiling.

"Dumbledore's Army," Ginny and I repeated. We smiled at each other before the train came to a sudden stop.

"We can't be there yet," Ginny said, looking out the window. "No, we're definitely not there."

About a minute later, the door to our section of the train slid open and we all froze. A Death Eater was standing in the doorway, two others standing slightly behind him. All of them had their wands slightly raised as they started down the train.

"Hey, losers," Neville said, standing up. He looked them dead in the eye, his expression unwavering and slightly angry. "He's not here."

"How do you know who we're looking for?" one of the Death Eaters said.

"It doesn't take a genius to figure it out. We're all friends of his and we're all standing behind him."

"If that's the case, then how do we know you aren't covering up for him now? How do we know you aren't hiding him somewhere in this train?"

"Search the train, then, but you'll be wasting your time," Ginny said.

"Ah, the Weasley girl. First you say he's not hiding in your house, and now you say he's not hiding here on the train."

"It's true. I'm not covering for him, but I would in a heartbeat."

"Silence," the Death Eater snapped.

"Hey," Neville began. He was still standing and looking at the Death Eaters, who were raising their eyebrows at him, prodding him to go on.

"What Neville wants to say," I chimed in, "is that we'd all appreciate it if you left. We're trying to enjoy our train ride."

"Yeah, before we reach living hell," Neville muttered, sitting back down.

The Death Eaters took one last searching look of the area before turning and walking back the way they had come. A moment later, the train started moving once more.

"Wow, Neville," Ginny said. "You really stood up to them."

"Not really," Neville said. "I just think it's ridiculous. I mean, did they honestly expect Harry to be sitting here on the train, eating Chocolate Frogs and playing Exploding Snap while the entire wizarding world falls apart?"

"I guess they figure they have to check everywhere," Ginny sighed. She looked out the window.

"I'm sure they're okay," I said. "Harry, Ron and Hermione, I mean. If they had been caught, we'd have heard."

"Luna's right," Neville said. "That's one good thing. If they're caught, we'll know."

"No news is good news," I added, smiling.

Ginny looked back at us and half smiled. "Yeah, I suppose you're right. No news is good news."


	15. Chapter 15

_"We're getting stronger now from things they never found. They might be bigger, but we're faster and never scared."_**-Taylor Swift (Change)**

* * *

><p>I didn't really like separating myself from Ginny and Neville once we reached the great hall. I gave Neville's hand one last squeeze before heading over to the Ravenclaw table.<p>

Snape was sitting in Dumbledore's old chair and I have to admit that it didn't look right. He was the last person that anyone pictured headmaster. Ever. But maybe that was because he was the last person anybody _wanted_ as headmaster.

I saw two new teachers sitting at the staff table, a man and a woman, and I just knew they were Death Eaters. They were dressed in all black and had smug looks on their faces. I figured they would be taking the Muggle Studies and Defense Against the Dark Arts positions, both of which had been unoccupied until now.

Professor McGonagall led the first year students in, as she had every year. It was nice to see something normal going on. The poor eleven year olds looked absolutely terrified. I felt sorry for them.

As the Sorting went on, I noticed that the cheering that usually erupted from each house as a student was sorted into it was a lot quieter this year. It was as if everyone was afraid Snape wouldn't allow happiness or excitement. Come to think of it, I wasn't too sure he would either. He sat in his chair during the whole sorting, expressionless, only clapping when someone was sorted into Slytherin.

Once everyone had sat down and the last bits of chatter had died down, Snape stood up. I noticed a lot of people were giving him glares. Except for all of Slytherin house, of course; they all looked simply thrilled that Snape was headmaster.

"Before we start eating," Snape began, "I want to introduce two new teachers to our staff." He spoke as quietly and slowly as he ever did, but his voice sounded terribly loud in the silent room. "Firstly, the position of Muggle Studies professor-,"

"What happened to Professor Burbage?" a boy in Gryffindor that I didn't know asked. "She was murdered, wasn't she?"

Professor Snape sent a stony glare at the boy. "The position of Muggle Studies professor," he said again, "will be filled by Alecto Carrow." He gestured towards the woman sitting at the table, who didn't move a muscle. She continued to look out at the room with her blank and unfriendly expression. There was the sound of a few people clapping from the Slytherin table.

"Muggle Studies," Snape continued, "will now be a mandatory class for all students."

"Why?" a student called out.

"Silence," Snape said. "The position of Defense Against the Dark Arts professor," he continued, "will be filled by Amycus Carrow." Amycus smiled nastily.

"Brother and sister, I expect," I heard someone whisper a few seats away from me.

"As I'm sure most of you have gathered," Snape said, "things are going to be run a little differently at Hogwarts. All rules that have been in effect previously still stand and punishments _will_ be enforced, I can assure you. There will be no roaming the corridors after hours. You will all be in your common rooms by eight o'clock every evening. You will go to meals and you will go to classes. The Forbidden Forest is off limits. There will be no Hogsmeade trips and no Quidditch. All secret passageways in and out of the castle have been blocked off."

I rested my elbow on the table and my chin in my hand. The Forbidden Forest had always technically been off limits, but when I had gone to visit the thestrals, I never had to walk very deep into the forest and I could always find my way out. I was sure that Dumbledore knew that I enjoyed feeding them and he had never said anything. I knew that Snape wouldn't be so lenient with me. It didn't look like I was going to be able to visit the thestrals this year. There weren't going to be any more walks to the greenhouses, or time spent in the clock tower or the owlery. I understood what Snape was saying. The students were basically going to be prisoners.

Finally, the food appeared in the middle of the table. At least that was another thing that hadn't changed. It was one of the very few things that seemed to be staying the same and again I was glad for it. It was nice to have something, anything that reminded me of the way Hogwarts used to be.

* * *

><p>"Now, it has been made clear to all of the teachers that the Carrows are in charge of punishment," Professor McGonagall said in Transfiguration the next morning. She was walking up and down the rows as she talked. "We are supposed to refer any wrongdoers to them and let them handle it the way they see fit." She looked around the room and we all knew what 'the way they see fit' meant. It wouldn't be pretty.<p>

"Surely you don't think that's acceptable?" a girl on the other side of the room asked.

"I think it's utter rubbish and therefore I won't be paying any attention to it," Professor McGonagall said as most of the class broke into applause. "However, if I feel you deserve it, I will give you a detention with me. Just because I don't agree with the new rules doesn't mean I don't agree with rules at all."

The class groaned.

"Would you rather be sent to the Carrows?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"No," everyone chorused.

"I didn't think so," she sniffed, making her way to the front of the room to begin the lesson.

I had Muggle Studies after Transfiguration and after what Professor McGonagall had said, I was a little nervous. At least Ginny would be in my class. She was in my Defense Against the Dark Arts class as well, which made me glad. It would be good to have a friend in the two classes everyone was the most worried about. It would somehow make things a little more bearable.

"Neville, what happened to you?" Ginny gasped when the two of us stepped out of Muggle Studies. Neville was waiting by the door with a gash on his cheek.

"Defense Against the Dark Arts," Neville said. "Amycus said as soon as kids start getting detentions, we're going to have to practice the Cruciatus Curse on them as punishment. He wanted to grade us on how well we did it and everything."

"So where did this come from?" I asked, reaching up and gently touching the spot below the cut. Neville flinched slightly and I pulled my hand away. He gave me a small smile and took my hand in his.

"I refused to do it. I told him I'd rather fail than do something like that, so he gave me this." He pointed to the cut.

"Wow, Neville, getting in trouble on the first day of school," Ginny said, "and standing up to a teacher like that."

"The Carrows aren't teachers," Neville scoffed.

"Who are you and what have you done with Neville Longbottom?" Ginny asked, smiling.

"He's still here," I said, grinning at Neville. "Come on, let's go get that cut healed. Or at least stop the bleeding."

We said goodbye to Ginny and headed upstairs. "So, what was Muggle Studies like?" Neville asked.

"It was a waste of time. Alecto went on and on about how Muggles are cruel and brutal and forced wizards to have to go into hiding. She made them seem like some kind of monsters. No one believed her, though."

Neville shook his head. "This is ridiculous."

"We knew it would be bad," I said.

"Yeah, but now that we're living it…" Neville began. "I wonder if we can get more people to join Dumbledore's Army. I'm starting to wonder if we can do this on our own."

I shrugged. "I don't know. We can try, but how?"

Neville didn't answer right away. Finally he looked over at me. "I think I have an idea. I'll let Ginny know, and then can you meet us in the entrance hall tonight at 7:30?"

"Yes, of course," I answered instantly. I didn't care that he was asking me to meet him half an hour before curfew. I didn't care about getting in trouble. What we were doing needed to be done and I couldn't wait to see what Neville had in mind.

* * *

><p>"Will this ever come off?" Ginny asked, actually letting out a quiet laugh.<p>

Neville shrugged. "I don't know. I've never done it before. I just learned _how_ to do it. The library's really good for finding useful spells like these."

"Who knew?" I asked with a tiny smile.

Neville and Ginny laughed quietly. "And," Neville said, "who cares if it comes off or not?"

"I'm sure it'll fade eventually," I said reasonably, "but not for a while."

"The longer the better," Neville said, working quickly on what he was doing. We had to work quickly so that we wouldn't get caught. We knew Filch and Mrs. Norris would be patrolling the hallways as usual and this time the Carrows would be joining them.

"Do you think this will work, Neville?" I asked.

"I hope so," he said.

"It's a brilliant idea," Ginny said.

"But even if it doesn't work, we won't give up, will we?"

"Of course not," Neville assured me. "Harry wouldn't want us to, so we won't, no matter what. The Carrows aren't going to scare us into doing what they want."

Finally we stood back to admire what we had done. The message was fairly large, taking up a good amount of space on the wall. We had used three different colors-blue, red and yellow- to write four very important words and they stood out magnificently even in the dark: Dumbledore's Army, Still Recruiting.


	16. Chapter 16

_"We will be alright, I'll be by your side. I won't let you down, but I've got to know, no matter how things go, that you will be around."_ **-Lenka (Don't Let Me Fall)**

* * *

><p>"Neville, this is getting ridiculous," Ginny hissed.<p>

The three of us were sitting in the library, at a table in one of the back corners. We were doing homework and planning what we were going to do next to annoy Snape and the Carrows.

"No, it's not," Neville argued. He didn't meet Ginny's eyes. Instead, he continued to flip through his book.

In the next three days, Neville had gotten three more scratches on his face and about two bad bruises. Ginny and I were still unharmed, but that was probably only because the two of us hadn't been instructed to torture any first years yet, and we had managed to keep our mouths shut in Muggle Studies, however much we disagreed with the lesson.

"What was this one from?" I asked gently, pointing to his cheek.

"I got it today," Neville said, still looking down, "in Muggle Studies."

"What did you say?" Ginny asked.

"I asked Alecto how much Muggle blood her and Amycus have got."

Ginny and I were silent. We both looked at each other at the same time and when we looked back at Neville, he was looking at us.

"What?" he asked.

"Neville, really, what's gotten into you?" Ginny looked surprised.

"Nothing," he said. "I thought we all agreed to do this together."

"We did, but I'm not sure I agreed to be used as a scratching post."

"Well, that's part of what reforming Dumbledore's Army means, Ginny," Neville said. "It's about doing something-,"

"I know what it's about." Ginny took a deep breath. "I'm sorry, Neville. I'm just—I care about you and I hate seeing you come out of class _bleeding_ every day."

"But that's why we're doing what we're doing, isn't it?" I asked. "It might take a while, but hopefully in the end we'll have put a stop to it."

"Exactly," Neville said. "Someone's got to stand up to the Carrows. Everyone else is too scared. Before, I would have been, too, but there's no time for that anymore. If no one else will do it, I—we—will. Right? I'm not doing this alone, am I?"

"Of course not," Ginny said. "We promised."

"You're never alone, Neville," I said, resting my hand on top of his.

* * *

><p>"You two, don't leave just yet."<p>

Ginny and I froze on our way out of Muggle Studies. As usual, there had been a mad dash for the door once class had ended, but apparently, Ginny and I hadn't gotten out fast enough.

"Yes?" Ginny asked and I could tell she was forcing herself to be polite.

"Follow me." Alecto had an unsettling smug look on her face that I didn't like one bit.

"How long is this going to take?" Ginny asked as we followed the teacher down the hallway. "We need to go to lunch."

Alecto didn't answer. Instead, she simply cackled and continued to lead us down the hallway. We eventually found ourselves in front of Snape's office. "He wants to see you," Alecto said. She looked happy, which wasn't a good sign.

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"You'll find out soon enough," Alecto cackled before turning and walking back the way we had come.

Ginny and I looked at each other. Finally, I reached out and pushed open the door. Snape was standing behind his desk. Standing in front of his desk, with their backs to us, were Neville, Ernie Macmillan, Hannah Abbott, Lavender Brown, the Patil twins, Seamus, Michael Corner, Zacharias Smith and Susan Bones. When I saw them, I knew what was going on right away. They were the only members of the DA left at Hogwarts. Justin Finch-Fletchley and Colin and Dennis Creevey were Muggle-borns and weren't allowed back at Hogwarts. Dean was also on the run. Everyone else had already graduated, but Snape had rounded up what members he could and was going to question us about the message on the wall upstairs.

"Ah, yes, come in and shut the door behind you," Snape said, looking at me and Ginny. Neville turned around and looked at us, smiling grimly. He knew what we were here for just as well as I did. Ginny had caught on, too. I could tell.

Ginny nudged the door closed with her foot and we stepped forward together. I stood beside Neville and took his hand.

"I'm sure at least one person in this group knows why I have called you all here today," Snape said. "Can anyone tell me why?"

Nobody said a word. I was sure everyone had seen the words Neville, Ginny and I had painted on the wall. It was likely they all knew who had done it as well, but yet, nobody was saying a word.

"Don't all talk at once," Snape said slowly, raising an eyebrow. He paced back in forth behind his desk, looking each one of us in the eye. "Three days ago, a message was found written on the wall of a seventh floor corridor."

"Not the Chamber of Secrets again," Zacharias said loudly with a snort. He clearly thought he was being funny, but nobody laughed. Ginny tensed up on my other side and I really thought she was going to punch Zacharias, but she kept still.

"No," Snape sneered. "This time it was a message about a certain group called Dumbledore's Army. The message was kind enough to let the entire school know that they are, what was it? Oh yes, _still recruiting_. I'd like to know who was behind this. Was it all of you? A small group? Or was someone working alone?"

The room stayed silent. I could tell Snape was getting angrier and angrier with each passing second. He came to a stop in front of Ginny, Neville and I. "Why do I have a suspicion that you three were behind this?"

"I don't know, but you can't prove it," Ginny said swiftly.

"No, perhaps not, but if I can't, then I'll just have to assign everyone a detention." I hated the smirk that played across his face. "And I'm sure you all remember what that means."

"It was me," Neville finally said. "Just me."

"Neville-," Ginny began."

"No, it was." He looked Professor Snape in the eye. We were still holding hands and I could feel his hand shaking slightly, but he didn't break eye contact.

"Very well," Snape said. "Everyone else may go. You," he looked at Neville, "will stay here so I can give you your detention details."

Neville nodded and finally looked away as everyone began shuffling out of the room. I glanced at Ginny and I knew she was thinking the same thing.

"Wait," I said, "I helped."

I felt Neville nudge me with his elbow, but I didn't look at him.

"So did I," Ginny added. "It was the three of us, just like you said." She moved closer to Neville and the three of us looked up at Snape, who was looking annoyingly happy.

"Well, then the three of you will be getting a detention. You will be serving it together in the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom tomorrow night at seven. Is that clear?"

The three of us nodded before leaving the room as fast as we could.

"Why did you do that?" Neville hissed as we left the dungeons.

"Neville, we're in this together. We agreed to keep the D.A. going together and we're going to get in trouble together," Ginny said.

"That's right," I said. "We're not afraid to take the blame for what we did."

"Yeah, but they're going to torture us," Neville said. "You shouldn't be tortured."

"And you should?" I asked.

"We all promised," Ginny said. "We all said-." She stopped both talking and walking when we reached the entrance hall.

"What are you all doing here?" Neville asked. Everyone who had been inside Snape's office besides Zacharias Smith was now standing in the entrance hall, waiting for us.

"Does the offer still stand, even though you got caught?" Seamus asked.

"What offer?" Neville asked.

"Is Dumbledore's Army still recruiting?" Ernie Macmillan asked. "We want to join. Well, re-join."

"You didn't seem to want to last year," Ginny snapped.

"We didn't realize how serious it was," Hannah admitted. "Now, being back at school again…"

"Yeah, it's different, isn't it?" Ginny snapped again.

"Well, what do you two think?" Neville whispered to me and Ginny.

"I think this is wonderful. We should let them join. We're going to need all the help we can get and we did put the message on the wall. If we didn't mean it, then there would have been no point of putting it up."

"True," Neville said. "Ginny?"

"I don't know. They can't just come crawling back to us after they backed out on us last year."

"Yes, but they have. And like Luna said, we need the help. And if we didn't want people helping, then what was the point of the message?"

Ginny paused. "Oh, alright."

Neville turned back to the others. "Okay, you can help us. We're really going to need it."

"So, what do we do?" Michael Corner asked.

"We're not going to torture people who have earned detentions. Don't agree to it. You're going to get punished, but they don't want to spill a lot of magical blood, so they won't actually kill is. Alecto kind of implied that in Muggle Studies, anyway."

"So basically we're doing anything we can to set the Carrows and Snape off?" Seamus asked. "Everything they do, we do the opposite?"

"Exactly," Neville said. "We should probably do more graffiti and anything we can just to annoy the Carrows."

"I have plenty of products from Fred and George," Ginny said.

"How did you smuggle them in?" Ernie asked.

"Fred and George have charms on most of their products that disguise them as regular items when needed," Ginny shrugged. "It's how a lot of people smuggled them in last year, too."

"Oh," Ernie said.

"This isn't going to be easy," Neville said. "We're going to get punished and tortured, and if you want to join then you have to be prepared for that."

"We are," Lavender said as everyone nodded. "I think I can put up with a few scratches if it means fighting against those awful people."

"What a sacrifice," Ginny snorted.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're going to be getting more than scratches," Ginny said. "Look at Neville's face!"

"You know what I meant! I-,"

"Enough," Neville said. "So are you all in or what?"

"We're in," Seamus said at once. "All of us."

"Good," Neville said, nodding. "We'll communicate through the coins like we did for the D.A. meetings, so you should probably start keeping them on you."

Everyone nodded in agreement and the small crowd began to thin out, leaving Neville, Ginny and I standing where we were.

"Did that really just happen?" Ginny asked.

"Yeah," Neville said.

"It's good, right?" I asked.

"Of course," Ginny said, "but I can't believe that everyone wants to be a part of this again."

"It's because things are different now," Neville answered. "Like Hannah said, they didn't realize how serious it would be."

"Well, they're all idiots if they didn't think that it would be bad."

"Hey, they want to help and it's going to be like the D.A. all over again," Neville said.

"Just a lot worse," I said, "and more serious."

"Unfortunately, yes," Neville said. He brought a hand up to one of his bruises and flinched.

"Anyway, this at least proves what I was trying to say earlier," Ginny said. "We really are in this together, Neville. We're all going to rebel together and we're all going to get punished together. It'll be worth it. I think that's what Lavender was getting at."

"I hope it'll be worth it. I hope it pays off in the end."

"It will," I said, taking his hand.

"How do you know?" Neville asked quietly, his vulnerability and his fear showing through for the first time in a while.

"I don't, but sometimes hearing that things will be okay helps people to believe it. Doing what we're doing and standing up to people helps, too. It gives people hope and that's really what we need right now."

Neville nodded. "I noticed that when Harry used to stand up to Umbridge. It seemed, even if it was for a few seconds, that things would be okay again one day."

"Exactly," I answered, squeezing his hand. "Remember, Neville, think positive."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	17. Chapter 17

_"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort."_ **-Herm Albright**

* * *

><p>"What if we don't go?" Neville asked me as we stood outside the door to the room our detention was being held in. "What if we skip it?"<p>

"If we don't go then we might as well cut off our own heads because that's probably what the Carrows will do to us," Ginny answered, half joking. "We have to go."

"Let's get it over with," I said quietly, placing a hand on the doorknob and turning it.

"Ah, good, you're here," Amycus said, looking joyful. Alecto stood beside him, smiling wickedly.

I looked around the room and saw a bunch of first and second years standing by a wall. They were all shaking.

"I figured this detention can go one of two ways," Amycus said, walking around us and tapping his wand against his palm. "Your first option, since you didn't seem too fond of doing this earlier, is to practice the Cruciatus Curse on them." He pointed to the younger students by the wall. "Since you seemed so against the idea, it'll be a pretty good punishment, don't you agree?"

"No, not really," I said honestly.

"Don't use attitude with me!" Amycus brought his wand through the air and I felt the blood trickling down my cheek before I actually felt the pain. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from making any noise. Neville was the opposite, though, as I suspected he would be.

"Leave her alone! She wasn't showing attitude! She was giving you an honest answer!"

"Silence, unless you want another injury to add to your…fine collection." Amycus smirked. "As I was saying, your second option would be to have the Cruciatus Curse performed on yourselves."

"What about neither?" Ginny asked, glaring at him.

Amycus raised his wand again, but his sister stopped him, speaking for the first time. "Hold on. If they won't do it," she smirked, "why don't we bring them to the dungeons?"

"Ah, yes, I forgot we brought back the old punishment methods," Amycus said quietly. "It was a lot easier for us than it was for Delores, wasn't it?"

"Well that was because the Ministry hadn't fallen yet. She had to get permission." Alecto cackled. "But we don't need permission! We can do whatever we want and the Ministry's on our side!"

"What are you talking about?" Neville asked.

"The old punishments!" Alecto said, almost gleefully.

"You must have heard about them," Amycus sneered.

"Oh, yes, we've heard quite a bit," I answered.

"Mr. Filch raves about them," Alecto went on.

"Yeah, well that's not a good sign," Ginny muttered.

Quicker than a blink, Amycus moved his wand through the air and in the next second, Ginny was curled up in a ball, screaming.

"Stop it," I said, kneeling down beside Ginny.

"We'll go to the dungeons!" Neville said. "Just stop torturing her!"

"Ah, yes, this must be painful for you to watch," Amycus said to Neville, pretending to be sympathetic. He smirked. "Don't think I don't know who you are, _Longbottom_. I know just what happened to your parents."

I stood up and helped Ginny to her feet. We were both looking at Neville and almost holding our breath to see what would happen next.

"I don't want to see anybody else tortured like they were," Neville said, his voice low.

Amycus laughed. "Well, that's too bad, because that's what's happening now and there's nothing you can do to stop it."

"Oh yeah?" Neville asked. He was trying to sound tough, but I could hear his voice shaking.

"Yeah," Amycus said, sneering. "Crucio!"

It was the second time I had to watch Neville get tortured in two years and I couldn't stand it, so I did the first thing I could think of, even though I knew I would pay. "Levicorpus!"

Amycus was lifted off his feet and now dangling upside down in midair. The spell on Neville was lifted and he continued to lie on the ground, gasping for air.

"Luna!" Ginny said with a small laugh.

"You little brat!" Alecto cried. She slashed her wand through the air and this time I felt the pain on my arm. I could tell without looking that this cut was deeper and worse than the one on my cheek.

Even though I knew it was coming, it wasn't enough to prepare myself for the pain of the Cruciatus Curse. I dropped my wand and was hardly aware of Amycus falling to the ground. All I could see was blackness as I squeezed my eyes shut and all I could feel was the horrible sensation of the spell, which felt like I was on fire and having needles stuck into me at the same time.

Suddenly, it all stopped and at the same time I heard a crash. Opening my eyes a crack, I saw that Neville was no longer standing next to me. I opened my eyes all the way and looked around. Neville was on the other side of the room, lying against the wall.

"Is he okay?" I asked Ginny quietly. I wasn't sure if I had the strength to yell over to him just yet.

"He should be," Ginny answered, sounding slightly panic-stricken. "He's conscious at least. He was trying to stop them from hurting you."

"Just bring them to the dungeons, Amycus," Alecto said. "We'll leave them there overnight and get them in the morning."

"Overnight?" Ginny asked.

"Problem?" Alecto asked.

None of us answered. I was roughly dragged to my feet by Alecto, while Amycus grabbed Neville and Ginny. They dragged us down to one of the unused rooms in the dungeons, where they attached chains to our wrists and dangled us from the ceiling.

"This isn't right," Ginny said as the Carrows left, slamming the door behind them. She struggled against the chains, but it didn't do any good.

"We're hanging from the ceiling of the dungeons," Neville said, his tone flat. "It's ridiculous."

"What are we going to do next?" I asked.

"What?"

"For the D.A," I clarified. "We're not giving up, are we?"

"No, I just didn't expect to be talking about it now," Neville said.

"I think it's a pretty good time and place to be talking about it," I answered. "After all, like you said, we're hanging from the ceiling. We're going to be here for a while."

Ginny squinted up at the stone ceiling. "You know, I still feel as if Snape doesn't really seem right as headmaster."

"He doesn't," Neville agreed. "It was always Dumbledore who was headmaster for us. The chair at the staff table in the great hall, the office, it all really belongs to Dumbledore."

"The sword," Ginny said suddenly. "The sword of Gryffindor hanging in Dumbledore's office!"

"What about it?" I asked.

"I think that's one of the last things that should be owned by Snape, much less on display in his new office." She wrinkled her nose on the last three words.

"What are you saying, Ginny?" Neville asked.

"We should steal it," she suggested.

"Steal it?" Neville asked.

"Yeah, why not? Snape shouldn't have it," Ginny said.

"What would we do with it afterwards?" I asked.

Ginny thought. "We should try to get it to Harry. He's the one who pulled it out of the Sorting Hat. He should be the one to keep it now that Dumbledore's dead. Plus, I think I overheard him saying Dumbledore left it to him in his will."

"He did?" I asked. "How nice, but why would Dumbledore do that?"

"I guess he thought Harry should have it," Ginny answered. "And he should have it, really. So that's why I think we should steal it and get it to Harry."

"But how exactly would we do that?" Neville asked, scrunching his face up in thought. "I mean, Harry's on the run. We don't know where he is and even if we did, we can't just go hand him a sword stolen from the headmaster's office."

"There's always someone from the Order," Ginny said. "I'm sure we can get Tonks or Remus to help us."

"I suppose we could," Neville said.

"Why don't we start with actually stealing the sword first?" I suggested. "Then, we can figure out how to get it to Harry. That is, if we're actually going to do this."

"It's risky," Neville said, "but I think Ginny's right. Harry should have the sword, not Snape."

I nodded and swung my legs back and forth a little.

"This stinks," Ginny huffed in the silence.

I swung my legs a little harder so that eventually my whole body was swinging lightly. I smiled. "Or it can be fun."

Neville looked at the ceiling, but I could tell he was smiling. "Only you would do that, Luna."

"Imagine the look on the Carrows' faces if they came in here and we're actually enjoying ourselves?" Ginny laughed.

"They'd be furious," I said.

"They'd probably punish us more," Neville said.

"I thought you were prepared for that," Ginny pointed out.

"I am," Neville answered, a smirk spreading across his face. I saw him share a look with Ginny and then they were both swinging right along with me. I grinned. Who knew punishment could actually be fun?

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review!**


	18. Chapter 18

_"You're not alone, together we stand. I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand." _**-Avril Lavigne (Keep Holding On)**

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><p>The next morning after the Carrows let us go, Neville, Ginny and I had just enough time to run back to our dorms and get our stuff before heading to our classes. We hadn't been released in time to get breakfast.<p>

"Hey, long time, no see," Ginny said, sliding into a seat next to me when we got to Muggle Studies. She smiled grimly.

"Yeah, the last time I saw you, we were swinging in the dungeon," I said back.

Ginny smiled for real that time and so did I. Alecto walked into the room just then and we hid our smiles. We didn't want to get in trouble for actually being happy or something just as ridiculous.

I thought about Neville. He was in Defense Against the Dark Arts right now. We had agreed to try and stay out of trouble at least for today so that when we stole the sword, we wouldn't have already put the Carrows and Snape in a bad mood. Even though we had agreed to that, though, I knew that Neville would refuse harming any of the people who had earned detention. That was what we were expected to do nearly every Defense class now: hurt people. Nearly everyone had been refusing except for the Slytherins. They absolutely loved it.

After class, there was a commotion over in the next hallway. Nobody could get by, it was so crowded. "Let's go to the front and see what's going on," Ginny said, craning her neck.

I nodded and approached the back of the crowd. "Excuse me," I said politely. Nobody moved an inch. I cleared my throat. "Excuse me," I said a little louder.

"Push them out of the way if you have to," Ginny said.

I stared at her. I wasn't one for pushing. Apparently Ginny was, though because she stepped around me, grabbed my arm and started elbowing her way through the crowd. "Move it, let us through. Come on, move!"

We finally saw what everyone was looking at and I couldn't help but burst into a grin. "Oh, it's wonderful!" I said.

It seemed that the other members of the D.A. really meant it when they said they wanted to rejoin. Someone had left another message on the wall. It said _Dumbledore's Army doesn't give up._

"Well," Ginny said, looking pleased.

"It's great, isn't it?" Neville asked, all of a sudden appearing beside us.

"Who did it?" I asked.

Neville shrugged. "I don't know, but it actually makes me happy. And the best part is, I don't think we'll get in trouble. They know there's a large group of us and they can't keep calling us all to Snape's office every time we do something."

"That's true," I said, "but can't they give us all detention?"

Neville shrugged. "Maybe, but I don't think they will."

"So when are we going to-," Ginny began, but Neville shushed her.

"Not here," he said. He grabbed my arm with one hand and Ginny's with the other and dragged us down the hallway. He dragged us all the way to the greenhouses. "Nobody will hear us out here."

"This is awfully far away from everyone else, though, don't you think?" I asked. "Not that I mind, but…" I trailed off and shrugged.

"I don't want to risk being overheard," Neville said. "There are always people walking around the school. Out here, not so much."

"Okay, so when are we going to steal the sword?" Ginny asked.

"When do you think we should?" Neville asked, leaning against a table and crossing his arms, curiously waiting for her answer.

Ginny paused. "As soon as possible. I mean, we're going to need time to plan this, aren't we? Otherwise, I'd say we do it tonight."

"We can do it tonight," Neville said with a shrug.

Ginny raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure?"

"You wanted to do this as soon as possible, didn't you?"

"Yes, but don't you think we need to plan something out?"

"We can't plan everything," I said. "I mean, we can, but a lot of stuff could happen that we didn't plan for. And what we're doing is simple, really. We know where the sword is. All we have to do is go in and take it and hope we don't get caught. Getting caught is the biggest issue and that we can't plan for or control."

Neville smiled and looked at Ginny. "She's great, isn't she?"

"Come on, Nev, this isn't the time to get all lovey dovey," Ginny said. She smiled, but I could tell she was missing Harry more than ever right now.

Neville must have sensed it as well because he cleared his throat awkwardly. "Sorry. Anyway, I agree with Luna. I mean, I think the only thing we really have to think about is the time. What's the best time to go?"

"During dinner?" Ginny asked. "Snape won't be in there during that time."

"Do you think they'll notice we're gone, though?" I asked.

"Hopefully not," Neville answered. "Hopefully we'll be able to get the sword, get out, hide the sword and get back to dinner quickly."

"What if we do get caught?" I asked.

"We get detention. There's nothing we can do about it," Neville answered, looking at me sadly.

We all looked at each other, knowing perfectly well what kinds of risks we were taking and what the consequences were. It wasn't going to stop us, though. What we were doing would be worth it in the end. It would be worth the punishments. Just as long as we all made it out alive.

* * *

><p>"We're a bunch of idiots," Neville said.<p>

"I knew we should have planned this out more," Ginny answered, pointing a finger at him.

"Well, you didn't bring up this issue earlier," Neville replied.

"It's not up to me to think of everything," Ginny sniffed.

"Well, arguing isn't going to help us figure out the password to get into the office," Neville sighed.

"No, you're right," I said. "It won't help at all."

"Do you think Snape kept the same password that Dumbledore last had?" Ginny asked.

"No, I think he would have changed it to something that's more personal to him. You know, since he has the power here now. Not Dumbledore," I said.

"So, how are we going to get in?" Ginny asked. She tapped the stone gargoyle in front of the office on the head. "I've heard this thing talks. Does it?"

"Yes, it does, I'm pretty sure," I said. I stepped forward and looked at the gargoyle calmly. "Hello, can you let us in?"

"You need a password," the gargoyle said in a bored tone.

"Yeah, as you might have heard, we don't know it," Neville said.

"We need to get into the headmaster's office," I said, "to steal the sword of Gryffindor."

"Do you know how upset the headmaster will be with me if I just _willingly_ let you three up there to steal a sword? However, if you had the password, that would be a different story."

"But we don't have it," Ginny said, throwing her hands up in frustration.

"Oh _dear_," the gargoyle said. I tilted my head to one side and stared at him.

"Yes, it's quite a problem," I said slowly.

"Yes, I'm sure it is, _dear_," the gargoyle said.

"Why is he calling you 'dear'?" Neville whispered to me.

I smiled. "Is that the password?"

"Luna, why would Snape be using pet names as the password to his office?" Ginny asked. She actually laughed a little.

"It doesn't have to be a pet name. It could be deer, as in the animal."

"You're getting warmer," the gargoyle said, looking up at the ceiling.

"Doe," I said at once.

"Correct," the gargoyle said, moving aside. "Good luck and I hope you get that sword out safely."

"How did you do that?" Neville hissed as we hurried up the staircase. Even though it moved, we raced up the steps in order to get to the office faster.

"You're brilliant, Luna," Ginny said happily.

"I told you she was," Neville said.

Ginny scoffed. "You didn't have to tell me anything. I've been friends with Luna for quite some time. I always knew she was brilliant."

"Seriously, you caught on to his hint so fast. How did you do it, Luna?" Neville asked as we approached the office door.

"He was emphasizing the word." I shrugged. "Usually when people do that, it's important. And then when he did it again, I knew."

"Merlin, you're just amazing," Neville breathed, shaking his head as he reached for the door handle. He slowly pushed it open. Even though we knew Snape wasn't there, we simultaneously let out a breath when we saw the empty room.

"There it is," Ginny whispered as we all stared at the case where the sword was displayed.

"Professor Snape isn't here right now."

We all jumped. I had forgotten about the talking portraits. Ginny and Neville had apparently forgotten too and I knew they were wishing we had put more thought into this, but really, what could we have done about the portraits? Nothing.

"We know, but we just came to get something for him. We have to bring it to him."

"What would that be?" one of the portraits asked.

"The sword of Gryffindor," Ginny said honestly. She darted forward and took the sword out of the case. She seemed slightly surprised at how easy it was. Maybe we all had expected heavier security around it.

"You can't do that!" a portrait said. "I don't think Professor Snape needs that sword! You're stealing it!"

"Perhaps he was given a dull knife at dinner and needs something stronger to cut his food with," I said, smiling. I doubted the portraits would buy it, but it was worth a try.

"Or maybe I would like to use it to threaten you into telling me why you are in my office."

Ginny, Neville and I whirled around. Snape was standing at the doorway, staring at us expectantly.

Ginny held out the sword as if she were actually going to use it on Snape. "We needed this."

"What for? Snape asked. He smirked. "Let me guess. Dull knives?" He sneered even more.

"It doesn't belong here," Neville said.

"Ah, I see, and where do you think it belongs, Mr. Longbottom?" Snape turned his gaze onto Neville and I saw him swallow before taking a breath.

"Not here," he said vaguely.

"Well, you may not think the sword belongs here, but I can tell you that you three belong in detention with the Carrows for this stunt." He moved to his desk, but the portrait on the wall behind it spoke.

"Severus." It was Dumbledore's portrait. Dumbledore hadn't said a word up until now and I was actually a little surprised. Maybe he had found it amusing that we were stealing the sword. Maybe his silence meant that he didn't mind.

"Yes, Dumbledore?" Snape sighed.

"I think a detention with Hagrid will be perfectly fine. The Carrows have been busy enough from what I've heard."

Snape didn't answer right away. "Very well, then." He turned to us. "You three will be serving a detention tomorrow night at eight with Hagrid in the forest." He didn't look happy about the detention assignment, but I was relieved, actually.

Snape turned his dark eyes on Ginny. "The sword stays here, Miss Weasley."

Ginny didn't answer, but she didn't move to set the sword down either.

"Miss Weasley," Snape said sharply. "You will put down that sword unless you would like two weeks' worth of detention with the Carrows in addition to your detention with Hagrid."

Ginny roughly set the sword down on the desk and turned for the door. "That sword doesn't belong in the same room as someone like you," she called over her shoulder.

I could see Snape's hand twitch towards his wand, but he seemed to think better of it and stopped. "You may go," he said to me and Neville through gritted teeth.

"We got off kind of easy," Neville whispered as we caught up to Ginny at the bottom of the stairs. "Do you think there's some kind of catch?"

"No, I think Dumbledore just hates what's going on as much as we do. He thought a detention with Hagrid would be better," I said. "Obviously, Snape listens to him even if he doesn't want to."

"Then why is the school like this?" Neville asked. "If Dumbledore's portrait can talk and Snape listens to him, then why doesn't Dumbledore just fix this mess?"

"Because overall this has to do with You-Know-Who," Ginny said. "One detention won't affect anything, but Dumbledore can't start giving orders out for the school from a portrait. He's technically not even headmaster now and You-Know-Who's taking over everything."

"I don't think this detention will be so bad," I said, taking Neville's hand. "We'll get to see the thestrals and we'll be together."

"Almost like old times," Neville smirked.

"Almost," I said, kissing his cheek. "When this is all over, we won't need a detention as an excuse to see them."

"When this is over," Ginny sighed. "I like the sound of that."

"So do I," Neville said. "I like the sound of it very much."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took me so long to update! I had the worst case of writers block ever. I would go to work on this chapter and just stare at my computer blankly. Anyway, it's finished now and I hope everyone likes it. Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review!**


	19. Chapter 19

_"It means no worries."_ **-Hakuna Matata**

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><p>"Hi, Hagrid," Neville said as he, Ginny and I approached the small hut at the edge of the forest the next night for our detention. Hagrid was standing outside with four large buckets at his feet. Each bucket contained something different. From the looks of it, it was some sort of food, but nothing that a human would eat.<p>

"Hello, Neville. Ginny, Luna." He nodded to me and Ginny and I smiled.

"How are the thestrals, Hagrid?" I asked.

"They're doing just fine," Hagrid answered. "I think they miss you, though."

I beamed. "That's sweet. I've really missed visiting them, but things aren't the same around here anymore."

"You can say that again," Hagrid muttered. "I'm surprised Snape even let you three serve detention with me and not the Carrows."

"It was Dumbledore's idea," Ginny said. "Well, Dumbledore's portrait."

"I heard what you did," Hagrid said, picking up the buckets and leading us towards the forest. "Stealing the sword? What were you three thinking?"

"We wanted to somehow get it to Harry," Neville said. "It doesn't belong in that office. I mean it just sits there, first of all. Harry might be able to use it for something. Secondly, why should Snape have it? It was one thing when Dumbledore was headmaster, but now that Snape is…"

"Snape's headmaster whether you like it or not. Stealing the sword isn't going to change anything," Hagrid said.

"So what do you want us to do?" Neville asked. "Just let the Carrows and Snape torture everyone? You want us to practice the Cruciatus Curse on first years and people in detention? I'm sorry, Hagrid, but I don't think I could do that if I tried."

"All I'm saying is that it's going to take a lot to stop them."

"We're up for it," Ginny insisted.

Hagrid didn't answer. Instead, he stopped at the edge of the forest and turned to look at us.

"What exactly are we going to be doing?" I asked.

"Well, it probably won't be pleasant," Hagrid said. "A lot of students don't like going into the forest, see. It scares them."

"We're not scared," I said, shaking my head.

"Maybe _you_ aren't," Neville said, swallowing as some creature howled from somewhere in the forest.

"This isn't going to be a visit to the thestrals," Hagrid warned.

"Oh, I know," I answered. "I didn't think it would be. That would hardly be considered a detention, would it? I was hoping to at least get to see them for a second, though. You know, just to see if they're okay."

"They're fine," Hagrid assured me, "as I said earlier. We won't be seeing them at all, though. We're not going through that part of the forest. We're starting here and going in pretty far."

"To do what, exactly?" Neville asked.

"Well, there are a few things we need to do, actually," Hagrid said. He looked down at us a little nervously. "Firstly, we need to repair some of the destroyed trees. Using your wands should help. Then, well, we're going to have to feed him, which is what these buckets are for-,"

"Feed _who_?" Ginny asked. "And what happened to the trees? How are they getting destroyed?"

"Well, Harry, Ron and Hermione knew about him, but they're not here anymore and I thought he could use some new friends. And I could really use some help with him. Improving his English and all that. He's improved a lot over the past few years, but he's still not that great…"

"_Who_?" Ginny asked impatiently.

"Grawp," Hagrid said.

"Grawp," Neville repeated. "Why does that sound familiar?"

"Harry, Ron and Hermione told us about him!" I said suddenly. "Remember? A little over a year ago right before we went to the Ministry. He's your half brother, isn't he, Hagrid?"

"That's right," Hagrid answered. "I hope you three don't mind. I don't usually like asking for help with him, but like I said, Harry, Ron and Hermione are gone and I need the help. At least, just for tonight."

"We don't mind," I said quickly.

"He's not _dangerous_ is he, Hagrid?" Ginny asked.

"Oh, no, he's really improved with his manners and everything."

"How much of an improvement?" Neville asked as we started walking through the trees.

"Grawpy won't hurt you," Hagrid chuckled. "Honestly, it's as if you three don't trust me."

I smiled and shared glances with Neville and Ginny. It was typical of Hagrid to think certain creatures were harmless when in reality they were considered dangerous by a lot of people. There were plenty of times, though, where he was right, like with hippogriffs and the thestrals. They really were harmless and wouldn't hurt anyone as long as you didn't provoke them, which was a silly thing to do in the first place.

"How tall is Grawp now?" I asked, mainly out of curiosity.

"He must be close to twenty feet. Nearly fully grown now," Hagrid answered with a proud smile.

"That's wonderful," I said.

"Wonderful," Neville replied, nodding his head as if he was trying to convince himself that it really was wonderful.

"How far in do we have to go?" Ginny complained nearly half an hour later. She swatted a low hanging branch out of her way. It swung back and I dragged my fingers through the cool leaves.

"Oh, not too much further," Hagrid said. "Just a few more minutes. See, look, some of these trees here are damaged."

It was true. There were a few trees that were half pulled out of the ground. Roots stuck up all over the place and the trees were falling into other trees.

"Are you sure we can fix these trees?" Neville asked, looking up at Hagrid. "I mean, I'm not sure if we can fix them when the roots are taken out of the ground."

"Well…" Hagrid began, looking as if this was quite the dilemma.

"If Neville doesn't know how to do it, then we certainly don't," Ginny said. "There might not even be an answer at all."

"I'm sure there is," Neville said, blushing. "I just don't know it."

"Well, that's okay," I said. "We can't all know absolutely everything there is to know in the world."

"I suppose you're right," Hagrid said. "It's alright." He smiled down at Neville. "You've always had a real knack for Herbology."

Neville grinned. "I'd love to teach Herbology here, actually, if we ever get out of this mess."

"You be sure to do just that, then," Hagrid said seriously. "It'll be good to have you here."

I smiled and took Neville's hand. "That's what you decided on?" The last time we had discussed careers, he hadn't been completely sure.

He looked down at me and shrugged. "I still haven't totally decided on anything. I'm still thinking. There are a lot of things that my decision depends on."

"We're here," Hagrid said suddenly. "Look, he's already sleeping."

"Where is he?" Ginny asked.

"He's right there." I pointed at a large, brownish-grey mound lying on the ground in front of us. The only way I could tell it wasn't a rock was because it was moving up and down slightly. I wasn't aware of any rocks that could breathe, but maybe nobody had discovered them yet.

"I guess we can leave the trees the way they are for now," Hagrid sighed, looking around at the destroyed trees. There were a lot more of them around this area than we had seen before. "I'll just wake Grawpy up now and we can feed him. He'll be glad to have company."

Neville took a few steps back as Hagrid approached the sleeping giant. Ginny stayed where she was, but I took a tiny step forward. I had never meet a real giant before. I was actually quite fascinated.

"Wake up, Grawpy, I've brought you some food and also some new friends for you to meet," Hagrid said, poking at Grawp with a stick. He glanced over his shoulder at us. "This is the only way he'll wake up. Using anything else isn't strong enough to wake him."

With a series of nearly deafening crashes, Grawp clambered to his feet, rubbing his eyes. "Food," he muttered in a booming voice, noticing the large buckets.

"Ah, you'll get that in a minute, Grawp. First, I want you to meet Neville, Ginny and Luna. They're your new friends!"

Grawp turned his large eyes on us. I took another step forward and held out my hand. "Hello," I said politely.

"Luna, are you crazy?" Neville yelped. "His hand's bigger than your entire body!"

Grawp grinned down at me and began reaching down with a hand that was, as Neville said, bigger than I was. Instead of shaking my hand, though, he grabbed me and brought me up to eye level. I heard scream from Ginny and then a crash from behind me. When I looked down from nearly twenty feet in the air, I saw a miniature Neville lying on his stomach. He had clearly tried to pull me out of the way, but had been too late.

"Grawp!" Hagrid said sternly. "We've discussed this! You do not grab! That is your friend, Luna!"

"Make him put her down, Hagrid," Neville said, standing up.

"It's quite alright," I yelled down to them. "It's wonderful up here. Everything looks really different from this point of view. Besides, he's not hurting me."

"Will you say that when he eats you?" Neville asked.

"Grawp won't eat her," Hagrid said. "He knows better. That I'm sure of. I think this is just his way of making friends."

"Well, it looks as if they're real buddies now, so can you get him to put her down?" Neville asked.

I turned to look the giant in the face. "Thank you for showing me the forest from this height, but would you mind putting me down now?"

Grawp just looked at me.

"Yes, now," I said a little more sternly.

"Grawp, why don't you put Luna down and eat the food we've brought?" Hagrid suggested.

Grawp instantly turned back towards Hagrid and instantly brightened at the mention of food.

"Look at that," Hagrid chuckled. "He must be hungry."

"Get Luna out of his hand first," Neville insisted.

"Neville, he won't eat her," Hagrid said.

Instead of placing me down like I had expected, Grawp dropped me then. I actually let out a startled gasp. I hadn't been expecting it.

"I've got her!" Neville cried, running around on the ground below me, his arms outstretched.

"Or we can just do this," Ginny said calmly. She aimed her wand at me and slowed my fall until I was hovering just above the ground.

"Oh," Neville said, his cheeks turning pink. "I panicked. Didn't think. Sorry."

"It's quite alright," I said, getting to my feet and brushing myself off. "I appreciate your attempt to save me. It was very gallant of you."

Neville blushed again and examined my face, using his index finger to turn my head from side to side as if searching for injuries. "Are you okay?"

"Never better," I answered.

"You're sure?"

"Quite sure," I replied. "Grawp was actually very gentle. He didn't hurt me at all."

We turned to stare at the giant, who was catching bits of the food Hagrid was tossing to him and consuming it as if he hadn't seen such a thing before.

"Jump in at any time," Hagrid said. "These are all Grawp's favorites."

"Just what are they?" Ginny asked.

"Don't answer that, Hagrid," Neville said. "We don't really want to know."

I rolled up my sleeves and approached one of the buckets. I picked up one of whatever was in there, some kind of dead animal from the looks of it, and tossed it at Grawp, who caught it and instantly stuck it in his mouth.

"You two are making this look easy," Ginny said, gingerly sticking her hand in another bucket.

"It is easy," I said, laughing as Grawp sniffed something Hagrid had just tossed him. "Besides, this is way better than cleaning out toilets or practicing the Cruciatus Curse."

"Right," Neville agreed. "As long as I keep reminding myself of what we could be doing, I'll be okay."

"That's right, Neville," I agreed, grinning at him. "You'll also appreciate real food more. You could be eating this, after all."

Neville actually laughed. "You're very right. Very right, indeed."


	20. Chapter 20

"_In the end, the only people who fail are the ones who don't try." _**–David Viscott**

* * *

><p>"Luna, what are you doing out here?" Neville had just come out of a detention to find me waiting in the hallway for him.<p>

"Waiting for you, of course," I said with a tiny smile. "What else would I be doing out here?"

Neville shrugged. "Knowing you, there could be lots of things."

"You look dreadful."

Neville met my eyes. "They mostly used the Cruciatus Curse. Other than that they just gave me a few cuts and bruises."

I shook my head. "I don't like this. I don't like that they're hurting you." I looked at a bruise on his jaw line that was a deep purplish-red color tinged with yellow.

"Do you think I can stand that they're hurting you?" Neville asked, reaching out and rubbing a thumb along my cheek, where I knew there was a healing cut. "And Ginny, too, of course. It's terrible."

"Sometimes I think they're harder on us," I said as we started to walk down the hallway. We had about half an hour until we were supposed to be back in our dorms so luckily we didn't have to worry about getting caught out late.

"Well, yeah, that makes sense. They know we're behind a lot of the rebellion stuff," Neville shrugged. He paused. "You know, sometimes I think that the fact that you and Ginny are getting terribly hurt is entirely my fault. I wanted to do this. I wanted to reform Dumbledore's Army. I feel like I dragged you two into this."

"No, don't think that," I answered quickly. "We're doing this because we want to and because we think it's the right thing. If we didn't want to do it, then we would have said no." I shrugged. "None of it is your fault. I'm just trying to get through it by reminding myself that in the end, it'll work out. It'll all be okay again one day."

"What if it isn't?" Neville asked, glancing at me. "We might not win the war. It could go either way. We might lose. All of this might be for nothing. All of it will be wasted."

I didn't answer right away, but I almost smiled. Sometimes I think Neville liked to test me by asking me questions that were the opposite of whatever I had just said.

"Well," I said slowly, looking up into his eyes, "yes, maybe we won't win the war, but that doesn't mean this will be wasted or for nothing. When it's over, whatever happens, we can say we tried. We had hope and we did something and that means that when it's over we can have no regrets and we won't have to wonder what it would have been like if we hadn't tried."

"But I don't know if I can live in a world where people like the Carrows and You-Know-Who are in control everything," Neville said sadly. "And besides, my parents fought to put a stop to dark wizards. If what we're doing now fails, then I'll feel like I've failed them."

"But you're trying," I insisted. "I think as long as you try, you can't call yourself a failure. You'd only be a failure if you didn't try. They would be so proud of you for trying."

"You don't know that," Neville said, a slight edge to his tone.

"No, perhaps I don't. Not for sure, at least," I said as we neared the door to the Ravenclaw common room, "but I'm being honest and telling you what I really think and it's up to you if you want to believe me or not."

"I'm sorry," Neville whispered, resting his forehead against mine. He sighed. "It's just that half the time I don't know what I'm doing. I'm just winging it. I don't think I'm as composed and organized leading the D.A. as Harry was and this time around it's so much worse."

"I don't think Harry knew what he was doing a lot of the time either," I said quietly. "Even when he was fighting off You-Know-Who. Don't you remember what he said at that first meeting? It was a lot of luck and help and I think we need a little bit of both as well."

"Or a lot of both," Neville corrected as I giggled. Neville sighed again and continued. "I just sometimes wish that my parents were still around so I could go to them and just ask them what to do. You know, just ask them for help."

"They aren't the only people you can ask for help, though," I reminded him. "I'm always here. You do know that, don't you? I may not be your parents, but if you ever need help…well, I'm here."

Neville moved away from me and started tracing his finger along the stone wall. Finally he turned towards me and I saw tears in his eyes. "Sorry," he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand.

I reached over and squeezed his hand. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't upset me," he answered quickly. "I just really like knowing that I have you."

"As long as you do know," I said quietly.

He nodded. "Can you promise me one thing?"

"What's that?"

"I want you to promise that you'll never stop trying to talk me out of being negative."

I smiled. "Of course I will. It's not that hard, really. My mum was really good at making my feel better. Maybe that's where I got it from."

"I'll bet it is," Neville said with a small smile.

* * *

><p>Over the course of the next few months, Neville, Ginny and I continued to write graffiti on the walls and fight against what Hogwarts was becoming. We continued to get detentions, some with the Carrows and some with Hagrid. We got more bruises and cuts and injuries, but Neville's were always the worst. The Carrows seemed to know he was kind of our leader, so they came down hardest on him.<p>

The first years were still getting tortured. _Everyone_ was getting tortured for that matter. Punishments were brutal and everything terrible that could be used was used: the Cruciatus Curse, being hung from your wrists in the dungeons, and chores like cleaning bathrooms and classrooms. They even managed to bring back Umbridge's charmed quills that wrote with the user's blood. It seemed like the cuts on my hand had only just healed.

"Christmas is coming," Ginny said halfheartedly as we sat in our usual corner of the library.

"Doesn't feel like it," Neville muttered. His head was propped up in his hand as he flipped through his Charms book.

"No, you're right, it doesn't," I said. It was the second week of December. There was about a week and a half until break. Typically, the school would have undergone decorating by now, but this year there wasn't a single decoration in sight. Not even any mistletoe.

Thinking about mistletoe gave me an idea, though. I started rummaging through the pockets of my bag.

"Luna, what are you looking for?" Neville asked, lifting his head up and looking at me.

"I know I have some in here somewhere. I've been carrying it around since Herbology class last week."

"You took something from the greenhouses?" Neville asked.

"No, of course I didn't just take it. I asked Professor Sprout. She said she doesn't need it since there are no decorations this year. Aha, here it is." I proudly held up the slightly flattened sprig of mistletoe. "We can make a little Christmas of our own." I dangled the mistletoe over Neville's head and smiled.

"Don't let the Carrows see," Neville smirked before leaning in to kiss me.

"I don't have to kiss either one of you, do I?" Ginny asked, raising her eyebrows.

"No, of course not," I said. I suddenly realized she must feel rather left out, so I started digging in my bag again. I pulled out a sprig of holly this time and put it in the middle of the table. "There, that's lovely," I said.

"Now Ginny doesn't have to be reminded that she has no one to kiss," Neville said with a small smile.

Ginny didn't smile back. Instead, she looked sadly down at the table.

"You miss him very much, don't you?" I said gently, patting her hand.

She nodded. "Yeah, I mean, I know he's doing something good and important, but sometimes it's hard, you know?"

I nodded. I hadn't ever had to be away from Neville for very long, but I did know how it felt to be away from someone you loved.

"I'm sorry, Gin," Neville said gently. "I didn't mean to upset you."

"No, it's okay," Ginny said quickly. "Actually, under normal circumstances I might've laughed."

"Under normal circumstances there wouldn't have been any reason to say what I said," Neville replied. "I'm sorry. I know it must be terrible. I don't know what I'd do without Luna around. I don't think I'd be able to keep it together like you have."

Ginny smiled. "Sure you'd be able to. I'd help you. And I do miss Harry a lot, but I'm so glad I have you two here with me. If I didn't, I'd lose it."

"Agreed," Neville said.

"Definitely," I added, smiling at them. "We did promise to stick together after all.

* * *

><p>It seemed as if fate, life, the war, whatever you want to blame it on, insisted that Ginny, Neville and I be separated.<p>

The three of us were on the train, heading home for the Christmas holiday. Going home was a lot better than staying at Hogwarts. The three of us needed a break. The few members of the DA who were staying at school had promised to keep it going until we got back, which was really amazing of them to do what with the risks and the punishments it entailed.

I was curled up against the window reading The Quibbler while Ginny and Neville played Exploding Snap while the train made its way back to King's Cross Station.

"Anything good in the Quibbler?" Ginny asked.

"There's always something good in The Quibbler," I answered.

Ginny gave a small laugh. "I mean anything about Harry."

"Well, no, just that dad's been supporting him. This is last month's edition though. This month's hasn't come out yet. I'm actually quite worried. Dad's usually printed by now. He's really cutting it close this time. I have to ask him what's going on what I get home."

"Do you think he's alright?" Neville asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yes," I said. "He wrote to me last week. He's alright."

It was moments later that the train screeched to a halt. "Don't tell me Death Eaters are coming aboard again?" Neville asked. "I mean, do they _really_ think Harry will be here?"

Ginny shuffled the Exploding Snap cards in her hands continually. Neville watched her and I kept reading the Quibbler. We were all listening to hear any sound that was unnatural. It seemed as if the rest of the train had gone silent as well.

Suddenly, we heard what we had been listening for: loud, thumping footsteps coming down the train. From the sounds of the footsteps, the Death Eaters were pausing at every compartment.

"This is mad," Ginny sighed, leaning back in her seat and shuffling the cards furiously.

We heard the Death Eaters stop at the compartment before ours. I didn't even look up. Instead, I continued to read the Quibbler. I didn't even think those Death Eaters were worth me worrying about them.

With a bang, our compartment door was thrown open. Neville and Ginny jumped up, but I stayed in my seat, peering discreetly over the top of my Quibbler.

"If you're looking for Harry-," Ginny began.

One of the three Death Eaters standing in the doorway laughed. "Stupid girl, we're not looking for Harry Potter on the train anymore. We need her." He gestured to me.

"Her?" Neville yelped, accidentally dropping his wand. He tried to get it as quickly as he could, but the Death Eater kicked it out of the way before Disarming Ginny and kicking her wand under the seat with Neville's.

"If you all cooperate, you won't get harmed. Although, it looks like one more injury wouldn't make much of a difference." His eyes wandered over our bruised and battered faces.

"Why do you need Luna?" Neville asked. "She hasn't done anything."

"No," the Death Eater sneered, "but her father has."

"What about him?" I asked, speaking up for the first time. I put The Quibbler into my bag and stood up. "What's wrong with him?"

"Have you done anything to him?" Ginny asked.

"Not yet, but we will unless she comes quietly and you two cooperate." The Death Eater gestured to Ginny and Neville with his wand.

"You're not taking her," Neville said, standing in front of me and grabbing my wrist.

"Ah, now don't make this difficult," the Death Eater smirked, stepping forward and twirling his wand.

Neville and Ginny blocked me from view and stared at the Death Eater almost unblinkingly. "We're not moving," Neville said. "If you want to get to Luna, you'll have to kill us first."

"I can arrange that," the Death Eater said, raising his wand.

"No, don't," I said, looking over Neville's shoulder. "Tell me what's going on with my dad first. Where is he?"

"Oh, he's home, but he's been printing some articles in support of Harry Potter. We've warned him not to do that, but he hasn't listened. We need to do something to get him to behave."

"So you're taking Luna to bribe him into doing what you want," Neville said in a low voice.

The Death Eater shrugged. "Exactly."

"No. I won't let you!"

"Like I said, killing you won't be a problem. Don't make this hard. Just move out of the way before I move you out of the way on my own. Either way, I'm taking the girl with me. I'm not leaving here without her."

"Looks like we'll all be here for a while, then," Ginny said, crossing her arms.

The Death Eater waved his wand, causing Neville and Ginny to be blasted back, past my shoulders and into the far wall of the compartment. In one swift movement, he grabbed my arms behind my back, took my wand, and dragged me from the train. I didn't even bother fighting. I knew I'd be no match without my wand. The last thing I saw was Neville getting to his feet and lunging for the door as Ginny tried to hold him back. He had tears in his eyes and it nearly broke my heart. I was hoping for the best, but if I was being realistic, I knew that this very well might be the last time I ever saw him.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading! Don't forget to leave a review! :)**


	21. Chapter 21

_"When you walk away, I count the steps that you take. Do you see how much I need you right now?" _**-Avril Lavigne (When You're Gone)**

* * *

><p>"Are you allowed to be taking people off of the school train?" I asked curiously as the Death Eater dragged me from the Hogwarts Express. We stood on the side of the tracks as the train started to move again.<p>

"We can do anything we want," the Death Eater said.

"Where are you going to take me?"

"None of your business," he answered.

"Well, that's not very nice, but actually, I'd like to know where I'm going to be kept."

"Stop asking questions."

He glanced at the other two Death Eaters and shared a nod with them. The three of them Apparated together, taking me with them since the one Death Eater was still clasping my arms behind my back.

I looked around at the place where we appeared. We were standing outside of a large, almost creepy looking house that loomed just beyond the black metal of a gate that blocked our way.

"It's very gloomy here, isn't it?" I asked pleasantly. Nobody answered me. I was dragged towards the gate and just as we reached it, one of the Death Eaters waved his wand, turning the metal into smoke that let us pass through easily.

When we reached the front door, one of the Death Eaters knocked three times. The noise was loud and booming in the silence. After a moment or two, the door creaked open a crack and a face peered out. I recognized the one heavily lidded eye that I could see through the crack. The last time I had seen it was about six months ago when she had been part of attack on Hogwarts.

"Who is it?" The voice of Bellatrix Lestrange was exactly how I remembered it. Slightly raspy and entirely eerie.

"It's us, obviously, and we've got the Lovegood girl." The Death Eater grasping me arms gave me a little shake and Bellatrix opened the door a little wider. I could see her whole face now and she was grinning widely.

"Excellent," she said, looking at me with an evil smirk that I didn't like very much.

"When can I go back to school?" I asked.

Bellatrix cackled, throwing her head back as she did so. "Oh, you won't be going back to school any time soon. You have your father to blame for that. He hasn't been behaving lately. Supports Harry Potter too much."

"That certainly sounds like he's behaving to me," I said calmly.

Bellatrix's smirk dropped right away. "Bring her downstairs," she snapped at the Death Eaters. "She's got a nasty attitude, this one."

"I wasn't giving you attitude," I said, shocked that she had taken my honesty for rudeness. Although, on the other hand, she deserved every bit of rudeness that came her way and I don't say that about anybody. "I was just being honest."

"Crucio!" Bellatrix screeched.

The Death Eater dropped me and I hit the floor, trying not to scream, but it was impossible. It was terrible and the pain seemed to go on forever. I wondered how long Bellatrix was going to keep this up for and what would happen to me. I wondered if I would go insane like Neville's parents. I knew I couldn't do that, so right then and there I decided not to. I told myself that I would _not_ leave Neville permanently. I would not give in the curse and the pain. I told myself that I'd find a way back to him eventually. I wasn't going to die here and let Bellatrix Lestrange take away another person close to Neville.

Finally the pain stopped. I stayed where I was, trying to catch my breath as I waited for something else to happen.

"Pick her up," Bellatrix ordered the Death Eater. "Bring her to the basement, but take her wand first."

"Already took it," the Death Eater said.

"Good," Bellatrix answered. "Look in her pockets. Make sure there's nothing she can use to escape."

"She won't be getting out of the basement without a wand," the Death Eater chuckled.

Bellatrix glared at him before aiming a kick at my side. "Empty your pockets," she demanded.

I did, but all that was in them was a pair of Spectrespecks and a Butterbeer cork. I was planning on starting another necklace and giving it to Hermione. I had already given Ginny one as a Christmas present. After the items were confiscated, I was roughly dragged to my feet, down the hallway and down a flight of stairs. I felt weak and slightly dizzy, but I heard the Death Eater opening a door before tossing me into a room. I hit a floor, presumably stone, and felt my head crack against it before hearing the door bang shut again.

"Hello?" I heard a frail voice call out from the corner.

I forced myself to a sitting position. "Who's there?" I asked. The room was cold and very dim. I could hardly see at all. There weren't any windows which was understandable. Bellatrix had said to bring me to the basement.

"Ollivander, the wand maker," the voice said. It was coming from behind me, so I turned around and sat up on my knees. Sure enough, Ollivander was huddled in the corner.

"I'm Luna Lovegood," I said, slowly crawling over to him.

"Ah, Luna Lovegood, yes," he said weakly. "I remember you. Your wand was quite a unique one. It was very lovely."

"Yes, I was really quite attached to it, but unfortunately it's gone now. Even if I get out of here, I'm not sure I'll get it back."

"I will gladly fashion a new one for you. If I make it out alive, that is." He coughed feebly.

"You don't look good at all," I said quietly, taking in how frail and pale the man looked.

Ollivander chuckled. "Neither do you, dear girl. You're bleeding just above your left eye, did you know that? And you're extremely pale."

I reached up and touched the spot just above my eye. It stung and when I pulled my hand away, there was blood on it. "They used the Cruciatus Curse on me," I said.

Ollivander nodded. "They used it on me as well. He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named tortured me especially horribly not too long ago."

"He's been here?" I asked.

"Every so often," Ollivander answered, trying to shrug. He ended up wincing and letting out another cough.

"Why did he torture you?" I asked. "And why is he keeping you captive here?"

"He wanted information." The old man fell silent as if afraid to say much more in fear of getting trouble. I didn't press the subject.

"I'm here because my father was supporting Harry Potter in the Quibbler," I told him. "I knew something seemed strange when he didn't print at the usual time this month. I expect he's either not going to print at all now or start putting out wanted ads for Harry because that's what the Death Eater's want. We'll be left alone if he does what they want and the Death Eaters might send me back." I sighed. It was sad to think that my dad could be trying to print articles that went against Harry. I felt like that would tarnish the Quibbler.

"Surely your father doesn't want to do that," Ollivander said.

"No, of course not, but he might feel that it's the only way to get me back. I wish there was a way to contact him and tell him I'm alright and that there's no reason to panic. I'll get out of here once the war's over."

"There's no way out," Ollivander said. "There are no windows and the door is always locked unless one of them comes down."

I didn't have to ask who he meant by 'them'. "I know that, but once the whole war ends, we'll be let out."

"How can you be so sure? We might die before we get let out and besides, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named may very well win."

I half smiled. "My boyfriend said the same thing. I just think we have to stay hopeful. It's the best thing we have right now."

Ollivander didn't answer, but coughed a few times instead.

"So, Mr. Ollivander," I began, "where exactly are we?"

"We're in Malfoy Manor," Ollivander explained.

"Oh my," I said. "It's a lovely place. Well, it would be with some better decorating. Maybe some brighter colors and some new paint. Perhaps this is why Draco was always so miserable at school. These dark colors are enough to bring anyone down."

"The Malfoy boy hasn't been at Hogwarts this year," Ollivander said. "He's been here. I've seen him."

"Yes, I noticed he wasn't at school. Who else lives here?"

"The Malfoy boy and his parents are always here, obviously, because it's their house. Bellatrix Lestrange is here most days and a grubby little man who goes by the name Wormtail has been staying here as well, I believe. Death Eaters are always popping in and out as well as You-Know-Who himself on some occasions, like I said earlier."

"How do you know all of this? Do they ever let you out of the basement?"

"I can hear them." The old man lifted his head towards the ceiling. "There are always lots of footsteps and I can hear their voices. They're the clearest when they're in the drawing room, which is right above us. The only time they ever bring me out is when they torture me for information. Other than that, I've been down here alone for months."

"What do you do?"

"Nothing. What can I do? I've had no company until now. I sleep a lot. The torture has made me very weak. They bring food three times a day, but I'll warn you right now, it's not a lot."

"Do you do anything else?" I asked. "You know, to keep you occupied."

"No," Ollivander said, looking surprised. "There isn't much down here."

"Well, you can always find something to do, even if you have nothing." I said. I crawled over to the wall and rested my back against it while I looked around the room and thought. "For example, you can count the stone blocks that make up the wall." I pointed to the wall on the other side of the room.

"That would take days."

"We've got time," I answered. "Have you ever tried daydreaming?"

"Daydreaming? No," Ollivander answered. He sounded surprised again, as if he had never heard of daydreaming.

"I do it all the time. Actually, places like this basement are great for daydreaming. So are windows, but there aren't any in here."

"What do you daydream about?"

"I like to daydream about lots of things. Whatever's on my mind, really. Sometimes I'll think about the future or I'll daydream about where I'd like to travel. I'll daydream about Neville, my boyfriend, or the rest of my friends. A lot of the time, though, I daydream about my mother. She died when I was nine."

"Oh, yes, I do remember her," Ollivander said. "You look a lot like her."

I smiled. "My dad says that, too. I'm really pleased to look like her."

Ollivander smiled. "She was a lovely lady."

"She was from what I could remember."

Ollivander's face crinkled in thought. "I remember the day she came in for her first wand. I also remember when she came in a few years later for a second wand."

I giggled. "She broke her first wand."

"Yes, I believe she said something about sticking it into the lake to make ripples and the giant squid came up and snapped it right in two."

I grinned. "Yes, I remember her telling me that story. I made her tell it over and over for as long as I can remember. I thought it was funny. I don't think she ever got sick of telling it either. If she did, she never showed it."

Ollivander gave me a sympathetic smile. "I'm glad that I finally have someone to keep me company while I'm down here, even if the reason why we're here is very cruel."

"I'm happy to have you here, too," I answered. "Even though I wish you didn't have to be."

"Even if I wasn't here, I have a feeling you would have passed the time perfectly fine on your own. I'm sure you would have managed to count all of the stones in the walls."

"I'm sure," I answered, leaning my head back against the wall. We both fell silent then and my mind wandered to Neville and Ginny. I really hoped that they were okay. I was already missing Neville terribly and for the first time in a while, I actually felt like crying. The only thing that kept me from doing that was the fact that, from beside me, I heard Ollivander counting the stones under his breath. He made it to seven before he fell asleep. It actually made me smile.

* * *

><p>"We've got to go."<p>

"Neville, stop pacing for a second. You're going to wear a hole in the ground," Ginny said, trying to stay calm.

"How are you so relaxed and calm about this?" I yelped.

"One of us has to be and it's clearly not going to be you."

I ignored her. "We have to go. As soon as we get back to King's Cross. Or sooner, really if we can."

"Go where?" Ginny asked.

"Where do you think, Ginny? To get Luna! We have to rescue her."

"I don't think that'll be possible. Besides the fact that she was taken by Death Eaters, we don't know where they took her and even if we did, I'm sure there will be lots of security and obstacles making sure we can't get to her. The Death Eaters took her for a reason and they're going to make sure she can't escape until they're done with her."

"When they're done with her, their probably going to kill her," I said, continuing to pace around the train compartment furiously. "If you won't come with me, then I'll go alone."

"Neville!" Ginny said furiously, standing up. I actually froze and looked at her. "You're not going anywhere alone. And didn't you hear what I said? We don't know where they took her. She could be anywhere."

"I'm sure we can find where the Death Eaters hang out…" I began, but I trailed off as Ginny shook her head. What she was saying was finally sinking in. Neither one of us knew where Luna was. She really could be anywhere. She could even be dead already. I swallowed. I didn't want to think of that. Luna was so full of life and I was so in love with her that picturing her dead would just be unbearable.

"Neville, the best thing to do," Ginny said, taking a deep breath, "is to just hope for the best. Isn't that what Luna would tell us to do?"

"Think positive," Neville said. "She's always reminding me to do that."

"Right, so let's do that." Ginny sat down and I sat across from her, resting my hands in my lap and looking down at them.

"So, we have to just tell ourselves that she'll get out of there. Maybe her dad will do what the Death Eater's want. Maybe he already has and they'll return her tomorrow."

"Maybe," Ginny said, but she didn't sound too sure.

I sighed. "Either way, she'll get out. She'll be okay."

"What if she doesn't?" Ginny asked. I almost smirked. Ginny's voice was nearly cracking with tears, but her question was testing my earlier statement the same way I always seemed to be testing Luna during her times of intense positivity.

"If she doesn't," I began, trying to think of something. "If she doesn't-," my voice cracked as a lump formed in my throat. I couldn't think of anything positive. "I don't know," I finished in a whisper.

"She'll be with her mum," Ginny said quietly. "If she doesn't make it, that's one positive thing."

"Oddly enough, it's not making me feel any better," I whispered, burying my head in my hands. I felt the seat next to me sink a little as Ginny moved to sit beside me. She leaned her head on my shoulder and after a minute I sat back and rested my cheek on top of her head. It was just the two of us now and we were going to need each other more than ever.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry for not updating in a while. I got about a third of this chapter finished before I went into about a week of writer's block. Anyway, I hope everyone likes the chapter and don't forget to leave a review!**


	22. Chapter 22

_"I took for granted, all the times that I thought would last somehow. I hear the laughter, I taste the tears but I can't get near you now." _

**-Richard Marx (Right Here Waiting)**

* * *

><p>"What should we do with Luna's trunk?" I asked, pointing to the dark brown object lying on the overhead rack. The train had pulled into the station and everyone was gathering up their things.<p>

"Well, we can't leave it here on the train," Ginny said. "It's full of her things. She'll need them when she gets back."

I caught her use of the word 'when' and it made me smile a little bit. "I guess the best thing to do, then, would be to bring it to her house. I can do it."

"Are you sure?" Ginny asked. "I can come with you if you need me to."

"No, it's alright. I'll probably go tomorrow morning. It's getting a little late now." I paused. "Her dad's probably home, right? You don't think the Death Eaters did anything to him?"

"I don't think so," Ginny said. "They took Luna so that he would behave and stop giving them trouble. Since they have her now, they probably left him alone."

"That's terrible," I whispered, shaking my head. "It's almost like bribery."

"That's how they work," Ginny shrugged. She didn't look happy about it either, though.

We stood for a few seconds more, just looking at Luna's trunk. Finally, I reached up and grabbed the handle, gently lowering it to the floor. "Alright, then, let's go." I started to drag both Luna's trunk towards the door in addition to my own, but Ginny stopped me.

"Hold on just a minute," she said. "There's something hanging out of Luna's trunk." She knelt down and I saw a pale yellow ribbon sticking out. I knew exactly what it was the moment I saw it. Dropping the trunk, I knelt down next to Ginny and opened the trunk. Lying right on top, the ribbon hanging out of the side of the trunk was Luna's D.A. coin.

"Why wasn't she wearing it?" I asked, picking it up. "She never takes it off, just like I never take mine off." I touched the brown cord my own coin was hanging from.

"There could have been loads of reasons," Ginny said. "Look, the ribbon's really frayed. It looks like it's about to break any second. She probably meant to fix it but never got the chance and she obviously didn't want it to break. At least if it's in her trunk, it's kept safe."

"Yeah, but she _needs_ this right now. If she had it, she could have sent us a message letting us know where she was. If we had just thought of it, _we _could have sent her a message."

"It wouldn't have made a difference. She doesn't have her coin."

"I know, but I'm saying if she did."

"It's okay, Neville," Ginny said.

I didn't answer, but I didn't think it was okay and I knew Ginny didn't really think it was either. We weren't blaming anyone. It wasn't Luna's fault that she didn't have her coin with her, but we just wished that things had turned out differently.

I waved my wand over the ribbon, making it as good as new. Then, I slipped it around my own neck. The coin sat right over mine. "I'm going to keep it safe for her," I said quietly. "That way I can give it to her when she gets back." I used the word 'when' just like Ginny had. We were trying our best to stay positive. It was the only thing we could think to do at the moment and I could only hope it helped, even if it was just by a little bit.

* * *

><p>It wasn't until the morning after I arrived in the basement of Malfoy Manor that I realized a very silly mistake that I had made. Usually, I wore my Dumbledore's Army on a ribbon around my neck, but on the day I had been taken off the train, I had overslept slightly and didn't have time to put it on, so I had slipped it into my trunk instead. I had planned to put it on as soon as possible, but other things had gotten in the way. If I had it with me now, I could have gotten in contact with Neville and Ginny.<p>

"What's wrong?" Ollivander asked me. I looked at him. I hadn't even known he was up. It was early, or at least I assumed it was. Since neither one of has had watches, and there were no windows to allow sunlight, it was impossible to know what time it was. We could only get a general idea from when food was given to us. So far, we hadn't been given any while I was here, but I was guessing breakfast would come soon. At least I hoped it would.

"I just realized that there would have been a way to get a message to two of my classmates, but I don't have it with me. If I had it, I could have sent a message to Neville and Ginny."

"Luna, I doubt anyone will be able to break us out of here."

"Oh, I'm not expecting them to. I was just wishing that I could have told them that I'm alright and that they shouldn't worry too much. I could have told them to get a message to my dad as well and let him know I'm okay."

"What is this method of communication?" Ollivander asked curiously.

"It's a Galleon. Well, not a real one. It's fake. Two years ago, I was in a group at school called the D.A. and we used the coins to communicate with each other."

"Fascinating," Ollivander said.

I explained to him how Hermione had charmed the coins and how they operated. He seemed genuinely fascinated and very interested.

"Do you think, if you had that coin with you, you'd be able to use it to get in contact with someone who actually can help us?" Ollivander asked.

"Well, the only people who have these coins are a group of my classmates. I mean, I'm sure Neville and Ginny are very capable of getting us out. I think they could do it if they really tried. I just don't want them to try. But if you mean adults, then no, I don't think so. There aren't any adults who have a coin."

"But couldn't one of your friends reach someone for us?"

I shrugged. "Maybe, but it doesn't matter. I don't have the coin with me." I sighed. "I wish I hadn't even taken it off that night. The only reason I did was because the ribbon was fraying. I didn't want it to break while I was sleeping and I was going to fix it in the morning, but then I ran late and I was taken off the train." I shrugged and started drawing designs in the dirt on the floor.

"You mustn't feel bad," Ollivander insisted. "You couldn't have done anything about it. You didn't know you'd be taken off the train."

"I just think it's odd and sort of funny how things happen," I said. "I always have that coin around my neck, but the one time I take it off, I end up somewhere where it would have been handy to have it."

Ollivander was silent for a moment. "Breakfast should be coming soon," he said.

"What do they feed you around here, anyway?" I asked. "I'm guessing they don't give you anything good. Definitely not any pudding."

"No," Ollivander chuckled. His laughter turned into a wheezy cough. Once he stopped coughing, he continued. "They don't give me a lot and it's not good food. Usually just a piece of bread or two and a cup of water. Sometimes they give me cheese too, but not always."

Ollivander had been right in predicting that the food would be coming soon. It wasn't even a few minutes after he had finished talking that the door was unlocked and a Death Eater shoved in a plate of food and two glasses of water. "I'll be back for the dishes in ten minutes," he said before closing the door with a bang.

I crawled over to collect the food before bringing it back to Ollivander. "Four pieces of bread, two apples, and two glasses of water," I reported as I split the food evenly between us. I smiled. "It's practically a feast. Nothing like Hogwarts, though, don't you agree?"

Ollivander gave a weak laugh. "No, nothing at all like Hogwarts."

I ate my two pieces of bread and then tossed the apple back and forth between my hands a few times. It reminded me of the thestrals. Sometimes they would eat apples, but not often. They usually stuck to raw meat. Eventually, I turned to Ollivander. He had already eaten all of his food. He had been here longer than me and was probably a lot hungrier. Suddenly I regretted eating the bread. I still had the apple, though, so I held it out to him.

"What's this?" he asked.

"Take it," I urged. "You need it more than I do."

"Oh, no, Luna, you need to eat as well. I've already told you they don't give us a lot."

"Yes, but it's been longer since you've last eaten a good amount of food. I ate breakfast yesterday morning before I left school. I'm not even that hungry."

"Oh, but you will be," Ollivander said. "I can't take that apple from you."

I looked around for something that would cut the apple in half so that we could split it, but the only thing I saw was a rusty nail lying on the floor. That surely wouldn't be sanitary at all. Instead, I tried passing the apple to Ollivander again. "You should have it. Really, you need it a lot more than I do."

Ollivander hesitated, but I could tell he was close to giving in. He looked extremely hungry.

"Well, alright," he said quietly, taking the apple, "but promise me you won't always try to give me your food. As nice of a gesture it is, I couldn't possibly let you not eat. We don't know how long we'll be in here. We're going to need all the food we can manage to eat."

I nodded. "I understand," I said before leaning back up against the wall again. It was only my second day here, but I already wasn't sure how long I'd be able to stand it. Counting stone tiles and daydreaming could only get you so far.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Sorry it took so long to update! Things have been really busy, but after next week, I should have more time to write. This chapter's a little on the short side, but I didn't want to leave everyone even longer without an update. Don't forget to review! I love reading them :)**


	23. Chapter 23

"_As many times as I blink I'll think of you tonight."_

–**Owl City (Vanilla Twilight)**

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><p>"Do you think Luna's cold where she is?" I asked Gran one night at dinner. It was a week and a half after I had gotten home and since Luna was taken off the train.<p>

"How should I know, Neville?" Gran sighed. She sounded sad and only a little impatient at my questioning. "You've been asking me these sorts of things since you've been home and I just don't know the answers."

"I know," I muttered, picking at my food and resting my cheek on my hand. "I just can't stop thinking about where she might be and what they're doing to her. She could be dead for all I know."

"She's not dead," Gran said briskly.

"You don't know that," I said stubbornly. "You just said you didn't know the answers to my questions."

"What do you want me to tell you, Neville?" Gran asked. "You're right, she might be dead, but I don't think she is. You said they took her to force her father to behave, didn't you? So my guess is that they don't want to kill her, just keep her until Xeno starts doing what they want."

"Why won't he?" I asked furiously.

"You want him to turn against Harry Potter?" Gran asked. "I thought you were friends with the boy."

"I am," I said, looking up and chewing on my lip. I felt extremely conflicted. The idea of Luna's dad turning on Harry, even if the Death Eaters were practically forcing him, made me upset. But it also made me sick that they were keeping Luna somewhere that was most likely very unpleasant. She probably _was _cold.

Gran seemed to know what I was feeling because she reached over and pushed my plate closer to me. "Eat your vegetables," she said quietly.

"What do you think they're feeding her?" I asked, stabbing a carrot with my fork and then holding it up in front of my face, staring at it intently.

"Probably leftovers from their own meals, if they're feeding the poor girl at all," Gran said, standing up and bringing her dish to the sink.

"I can do that for you," I told her, standing up, but she brushed me off with a wave of her hand.

"Sit and finish eating," she said.

"How can I eat when I know Luna's barely getting fed?" I muttered.

"Well, wasting your dinner when she's not getting any would surely be a shame," Gran said. She glanced at me over her shoulder. "Luna's a strong girl. I'm sure she'll get through it. Who knows, maybe there's a…a—oh, what is that thing she goes looking for? A Crinkle Billed Snorkal?"

"A Crumple Horned Snorkack," I answered almost robotically as I stared at my plate almost unblinkingly, twirling my fork in my hand. A small smile turned the corners of my mouth up, though.

"Yes, maybe one of those is with her wherever she's being kept." Gran smiled a tiny smile. "Either way, I'm sure she's finding all sorts of ways to keep herself occupied."

"I hope they aren't torturing her too bad," I said.

Gran stepped forward, and seeming to know I wasn't going to eat any more, took my plate and brought it to the sink. "Again, I don't know, Neville, but it won't do any good worrying about it."

"I have to worry about it. I can't help it," I said quietly.

Gran finished washing my dish and sat down across from me. "I know what it feels like to be in your position."

"Because of-?"

"Your grandfather, yes. Do you remember what happened before he died? I know you were quite young."

"I was six, almost seven," I answered quietly. "I know he left for a few days. I don't think anyone ever told me where he went, though, but I don't think I ever asked. I was never sure I really wanted to know."

"Your grandfather loved to travel and he loved camping. He would travel all over the place and camp out in a tent, making foods over a campfire and all that. I would never go with him, of course, but I think he liked the alone time anyway. It was peaceful, he always said. He always took lots of pictures, as I'm sure you remember. You must have seen them. Anyway, as he got older I didn't let him go as much. It wasn't safe for an old man to be camping out in the woods. But one day he decided he wanted to go. I can't remember where he insisted on going for the life of me, but nothing I could say would stop him from going. He came back and a few days later, he was sick."

"Nothing we did made him better," I said quietly.

"Nothing," Gran repeated, shaking her head. "We never knew what disease he contracted or how. It could have been anything. It could have been from something he ate, or just a man of his age being out in the woods and the cold. There are multiple ways, but we never knew and we never found a way to cure it. You were so good during that time. You hardly ever left his side."

"He's the reason I can see thestrals," I told her.

She nodded. "I figured you'd be able to see them. Anyway, the point of me telling you this is because whenever your grandfather left, and especially on that one trip, I worried about him. Constantly. He was off on his own and I wouldn't hear from him until he came back. He was always asking me to come with him and I did once, but camping wasn't for me. When he was gone, I was always wondering if he was cold and if he was eating. The same things you're wondering about Luna."

"Luna's been taken by Death Eaters, though," I said. "They could be torturing her. They could have killed her."

"In the end, camping sort of tortured your grandfather as well, and it did end up killing him. It may not have been Death Eaters, but it killed him just the same. There's not a day that goes by that I don't think about him and feel guilty about letting him go on that one trip."

"You shouldn't feel guilty," I said. "It's not your fault. He was stubborn. He would have gone no matter what you said."

"True," Gran sighed. "You shouldn't feel guilty about Luna, either."

"I'm not feeling-,"

"You are," Gran insisted. "You feel like you should have stopped them from taking her. And you shouldn't feel that way. You couldn't have stopped it from happening. Those Death Eaters are stubborn. They would have taken her no matter what you said."

I looked up as she practically repeated my own words back at me. "I'm scared. I try not to be, but I am," I whispered. "When I'm around Luna, she manages to make me feel better. Now that she's gone, I feel like I'm going to fall apart. I feel like the D.A. will fall apart." I had told Gran all about what we had been doing at school and she was behind it one hundred percent.

"The D.A. will only fall apart if you let it. Just because Luna's gone doesn't mean you _can _fall apart. You may want to, but you can't. You'll have to do this without her, but I think you can do it."

"Gran?" I said with a small smile.

"What is it?" she asked.

"I'm glad we had this talk. We never do this."

She almost laughed, but in the end, her mouth went back to the stern straight line it was almost always in. "Don't expect this to happen all the time now."

"No, you're not the kind to have heartfelt discussions," I said, standing up to head for my room.

"I do love you. I only want the best for you, Neville."

I didn't answer right away. Finally, I nodded. "I know."

"Oh, and Neville?"

"Yes?" I asked, turning around.

"You might want to start on that Transfiguration homework you were assigned to do over break. It's not going to get done on its own."

I nodded and headed for my room. Typical Gran. Even when Hogwarts was falling apart, she was still making sure my homework got done.

* * *

><p>"So then what?" I asked, switching my position so that I was sitting cross legged instead of with my legs stretched out.<p>

"Well, I handed the little girl a wand and told her to give it a wave. She did, and the ladder leaning against the shelves lit on fire. Her father was standing just a little bit to close and the fire spread to his hair."

"That sounds awfully painful," I said, trying not to giggle.

"Oh, I'm sure it was," Ollivander said, laughing. He coughed before continuing. "Anyway, I put the fire out and handed the girl another wand. I was almost afraid to, but this time it was the right one, thank goodness. Her father looked terribly relieved."

"I would have been too," I said.

"Although, the fire did give him a new uneven and slightly burnt haircut," Ollivander said.

"That's a good way to look at it," I answered with a grin. I pulled the blanket I was using tighter around my shoulders. It was chilly down here in the basement and only getting colder. Ollivander had given me one of his blankets and I had been using that for extra warmth. "Exactly how long have you been here?" I asked.

"About a year and a half now," he answered. "They took me right out of my shop last summer. You must have seen that it was abandoned."

"Yes, I did, but I just didn't know if they brought you straight here or not."

"They did," Ollivander nodded. "You-Know-Who tortured me pretty badly when I got here, for information, like I said. Then he tortured me again a few months ago. He's after a wand."

"A wand? What's wrong with the one he has?" I asked.

"Not good enough," Ollivander sighed. "He wants a better one."

I didn't press the issue. Ollivander clearly didn't like talking about being tortured. He didn't like giving out too much information on what You-Know-Who wanted from him either. It was like he was afraid he would get in trouble for telling anyone else.

"What do you think they'll bring us for dinner tonight?" I asked, changing the subject. It had become sort of a game between the two of us to guess what types of food would be brought each day. I was good at coming up with things for us to do.

"Bread," Ollivander sighed. "It's always bread."

"Maybe apples if we're lucky?" I asked. "And hot chocolate instead of water?"

"Hot chocolate! Now that's wishful thinking," Ollivander asked. "Quite a stretch if you ask me."

"A little bit of wishful thinking never hurt anybody," I shrugged.

"But then isn't it a letdown when it doesn't end up being reality?" Ollivander asked.

"No, not really," I answered. "See, I can sit here and hope they'll bring us real food one day and I know that they won't, but I like at least hoping that they will. It's almost as good as the real thing and it's better than nothing, isn't it? And who knows, maybe the wishful thinking will pay off one day."

"I suppose it could happen, but I highly doubt it," Ollivander said.

"But we never know," I said, "and that's the exciting part. Not knowing what life is going to throw at you. Life tries to trick you, you see."

"I know," Ollivander said. "Life can be quite terrible."

"Of course," I said nodding. "It's very much like a love-hate relationship, don't you agree?"

"Oh yes, very much," Ollivander said with a chuckle. "You know, Luna, I don't know how you do it. You manage to see good opportunities in everything. You make even the terrible things somewhat bearable. That's a very good quality to have."

"Neville always said he liked that about me," I said, nodding.

"You miss him, don't you?"

"Very much," I sighed. "I wish there was a way for him to know I'm thinking about him."

"I'm sure he's thinking about you as well," Ollivander said kindly.

"I expect he's very worried. Out of the two of us, he worries more. Not as much now, though. He's gotten so much better at just being relaxed and thinking about things calmly."

"I expect that's your doing," Ollivander said.

I shrugged. "Maybe, but I also suspect he did it on his own. He's a lot stronger than he thinks. He's so different from what he used to be." A faint smile played across my face. "I love it, though. It's as if he's finally starting to believe in himself. You see, he used to think he was worthless, but he's not. He's so far from worthless, but he just never really believed it."

"Until now?"

"Well, I'm still not sure he fully believes it yet. I usually try to give him lots of moral support, but I'm not there to do that anymore. I hope he and Ginny keep the D.A. going at school." Obviously, there had been lots of time for talking down in the basement and Ollivander knew all about the D.A. now, both the old one and the new one.

"I'm sure they will," Ollivander said.

"I'm not sure the other members are as keen to do it anymore because of all the torture," I said, "and it was hard enough for the three of us to lead it. It'll be so much harder with only two."

"Well, it seems to me that someone is having a little trouble following their own advice," Ollivander said. "Positive thinking, correct?"

I smiled. "You're right. Positive thinking."

"I know it can be hard. You've already done so well in this situation. Most others would have cracked by now. I know I was about to. But nobody can afford to give up right now. Not if we want to win this war."

"You're very right, Mr. Ollivander," I told him, "and I think Neville and Ginny know that."

"So you think they'll keep the D.A. going?"

"Yes, I am fairly certain now," I answered. "They'll keep it going no matter what."

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><p><strong>AN: I had some time to write another chapter! I hope everyone likes it and don't forget to leave a review and tell me what you think!**


	24. Chapter 24

"_I'm a damsel. I'm in distress. I can handle this. Have a nice day."_

–**Meg, from Hercules**

* * *

><p>"Neville, you can't fall asleep now," Ginny said, giving my shoulder a tiny shove.<p>

"Sorry," I yawned. "I'm just tired." We were in the middle of another one of our graffiti projects and we had only been back at school for a day. I had sat on the ground to start painting the lower part of the words, but apparently I had started to doze off, my forehead against the wall.

"Look, you smudged it," Ginny said, pointing to the lower part of the "A" I was painting. We were simply writing "Dumbledore's Army" this time, but it seemed to be taking forever.

"I didn't mean to," I answered. "Do I have paint all over my forehead now?"

"Yes, you look like an idiot," Ginny answered with a small laugh. She quickly waved her wand and cleared my forehead.

"Thanks," I sighed, stretching my legs out in front of me and leaning back on my palms.

Ginny put the last finishing touches on the "R" she was painting before brushing off her hands and sitting next to me. "Break time," she announced.

"We really can't afford to take a break. We might get caught," I told her. I could hear the exhaustion in my voice.

"Do we really care?" Ginny asked. "We've already been scratched and beaten a few too many times."

"True," I said. "Gran only managed to heal a few of my minor injuries. Some of them were too bad for even her to touch."

"You really do look awful, Neville. The Carrows have really beaten you up.

"That's probably for the best. I'd rather take most of the blame over you and Luna."

"Luna and I are just as in on this as you are," Ginny argued.

"Well, not so much Luna anymore," I answered bitterly.

"Is that why you haven't been sleeping properly?"

"What makes you think I haven't been sleeping properly?"

"You just fell asleep against the wall, or did you forget already?" Ginny raised an eyebrow at me.

"That's just from sneaking out at night to do the graffiti," I said, shrugging it off.

"Right, we've been back at school for a day. This is the first time we've been out since we've gotten back. Nice try."

"It's nearly three in the morning. It's way past my bedtime," I tried.

"How old are you? Seven?" Ginny laughed. "Again, nice try. I know it's because of Luna. I don't blame you, you know."

I didn't answer right away. I just stared straight ahead at the paint on the wall in front of us. "It's hard to sleep when I don't even know if she's okay. I don't know where they took her or what they did to her. I just feel desperate for any information I can get, but it's almost impossible to get any." I finally looked over at Ginny. "Is this how you felt when Harry left?"

Ginny nodded sadly. "I still feel that way sometimes. It gets better. A little."

"A little," I said with a bitter laugh. "At least if something happens to Harry, everyone will know about it. With Luna, they could have dumped her somewhere and we'd never know."

"Don't say that," Ginny said in a whisper, squeezing her eyes shut. "I don't want to think about that."

"Neither do I," I answered.

Ginny took a deep breath and stood up, holding her hand out to me. "Okay, break time's over. Let's get back to work."

I nodded in agreement. "Let's do it."

The next night, I sank down into a chair by the fire in the Gryffindor common room before putting my head in my hands. I had just come back from a nasty detention with the Carrows. They had probably figured that the D.A. just had too many people and they could never pin the blame on just one person because there was just no proof. They had seemed to figure out that I was behind a lot of it and the one giving the orders, so they apparently decided to give me a detention for every stunt the D.A. pulled.

"Neville, are you okay?"

I looked up to see Seamus standing over me. "I'm fine, Seamus," I said quietly.

"You're shaking and your hand's bleeding. Did they make you use the quill?"

I nodded. "Cruciatus Curse, too."

"They're torturing you pretty badly," Seamus said nervously. "I mean, what happens if they catch one of us?"

"They probably know I'm in charge, but just make sure you don't get caught. If they don't catch anyone, they'll blame me."

Seamus didn't say anything for a minute. "We can't let you take the blame for everything."

"But you don't want to get tortured. You're afraid, aren't you?"

"Neville, of course we're all scared. This place isn't-," he stopped and took a breath. "It's not the same."

"I know that. That's why I'm doing what I'm doing, but if you're afraid, then don't be a part of the D.A. anymore. It's okay." Seamus was silent. I looked up to see him staring at me oddly. "What?" I asked.

"What's happened to you, Neville?"

I figured he was talking about my injuries, so I began rattling them off, but he interrupted me.

"I meant that you're not the same kid I knew in first year."

"Everyone changes," I said, shrugging and staring into the fire.

"Yeah, but you've changed the most. I think that kind of scares me more than the Carrows."

"I'm sick of everyone thinking I'm worthless," I said, not taking my eyes off the fire, "and I'm sick of these people just taking away everyone that I love. I want it to stop and if that means I have to do something about it myself, then that's how it's going to be."

Seamus nodded. "We're not going to give up, Neville."

"I thought you were scared."

"I am, but I didn't get put into Gryffindor for nothing. And Gryffindor isn't the only house with brave people, either. I think the entire D.A. is going to keep fighting. We didn't join and learn all those spells for just for them to go to waste."

"Why didn't you feel this way last year?" I asked. "Hardly anyone answered the messages on the coins when Death Eaters attacked the castle."

Seamus didn't answer right away. "I think it just took us longer to understand what the D.A. really meant. It probably took a few attacks for us to see that we really need this right now. We need something to hold us together. And if it took this war and the prospect of losing people to make us see that, then, well," he shrugged, "better late than never, right?"

"The D.A. always meant something to me," I confessed. "You said I changed. Maybe being in the D.A. did that."

"I think it was a lot of things," Seamus said. "I think Luna had a lot to do with it."

"Luna?" I asked, looking up.

"Yeah, she's really good for you, Neville. She's really not that bad once she shuts up about Wrackspurts. You know, I still don't even know what they are."

"The fly in your ears and make your brain go fuzzy," I said automatically.

"Ah," Seamus answered.

I looked up and smiled. "I'm surprised you got the name right."

"So am I, to be honest," Seamus answered. He turned to go. "Are you going to be all right? You look terrible."

"I'm fine, Seamus, thanks," I said with a tiny smile. He nodded and walked away. I turned back to the fire and stared into it, thinking about what Seamus had said. I was glad that the others weren't planning on giving up. They were terrified but they were going to face their fears. That was what I had always struggled with as a kid and I think the D.A. helped me with that and maybe Seamus was right, too. I probably would be an entirely different person if I had never met Luna.

Just thinking about her made me feel anxious and upset all over again. I needed her, but my Gran had been right in saying that I could be strong on my own. I could do this. I could keep the D.A. going with Ginny and probably by the time Luna got back, the war would be over.

"Positive thinking," I muttered to myself.

* * *

><p>"How long ago do you think Christmas was?" Ollivander asked me one day.<p>

I thought for a moment. It was already getting harder and harder for me to figure out the days and I had only been here for a little while. I could only imagine what it must have felt like for Ollivander.

"Well, I got here two days before Christmas," I said. It had also been two days after my two year anniversary with Neville, but I didn't say that. It made me really happy to think about Neville, but at the same time, it kind of made me sad.

"How long ago was that?" Ollivander asked.

I thought for a few seconds more. "I don't know, maybe about two weeks? I wish I had thought of it before. I could have done something festive."

"Like what?" Ollivander asked. "The only thing down here with us is this rusty nail."

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Having my wand sure would have been useful."

"If you had your wand," Ollivander chuckled, "we wouldn't have to be locked down here in the first place."

"That's very true," I agreed, nodding my head. There was a pause. "Do you remember how many stones we counted up to?"

"No, I'm sorry," Ollivander replied sadly. "I lost count."

"Me too," I answered. "I suppose we could start over."

"We've got time, right?" Ollivander said with a smile.

"Lots of it," I answered, sighing. As much as I didn't want to admit it, I was getting tired of this basement. You-Know-Who didn't seem to need information to torture out of Ollivander anymore and I hadn't been any use to them. All I was here for was to bribe my father into behaving. They were probably waiting for him to print a wanted ad for Harry, which wouldn't happen until the next issue came out in January. My father always printed every month without fail. If I had calculated the time correctly, we were going into the second week of January, so maybe I'd be getting out soon. It all depended on when my father did what the Death Eaters wanted.

That night, when a Death Eater, who I believe was named Scabior, brought our dinner, I asked him about my father.

"He's not printing," he answered in an annoyed tone.

"He's not?" I asked, surprised. It was serious if he wasn't printing.

"He will eventually," Scabior said. "We'll convince him to. It's not that hard. All he has to do is print one wanted ad and then distribute it in that silly magazine."

So I had been right about the wanted ad. "It's not a silly magazine at all," I said.

"He's been begging for us to give you back," Scabior continued with a sneer. "We've told him, though, he won't be getting you back until he either prints the wanted ad or hands over Harry Potter himself."

I felt terrible for my dad. He must be extremely torn. Both of us had always believed and supported Harry and now my dad was practically being forced to turn against him.

"What about Mr. Ollivander?" I asked. "When is he allowed to leave?"

Scabior smirked and shrugged. "Don't know. I don't make the rules, I just follow them." He sneered down at me and moved my hair aside with his wand while he looked at my ear. "Nice earrings. What are they supposed to be, bushes?"

"Mistletoe," I answered.

"How festive," Scabior snorted.

"Oh, yes, and this charm," I held up the charm on the necklace I was wearing, "well, it keeps away the Nargles."

"The Nargles!" Scabior let out a loud barking laugh. "The Malfoy boy said everyone at Hogwarts called you Looney. Now I can see why!" He turned and left the room, locking us back in. I could hear him laughing all the way up the stairs.

"He laughs," I said to Ollivander, "but he'll be sorry once the Nargles get him."

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to review!**


	25. Chapter 25

"_You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."_

**-Winnie the Pooh**

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><p>"Neville, I have to talk to you," Ginny said one day a few weeks later. It was the end of February and there was still no news from or about Luna. I kept hoping every single day that I would hear something or that she would find a way to contact me, but every day I was let down. I had been listening to Potterwatch ever since it had started, but there was no news there either, which I suppose was good. It probably meant Luna was still alive. Either that, or Lee and the others hadn't heard anything on her at all.<p>

"What's going on?" I asked Ginny as she grabbed my arm and dragged me to a secluded corner of the common room.

"I just spoke to Michael and-,"

"Michael?"

"Michael Corner, Neville. What other Michael would I be talking about? Honestly, you're the most out of it leader I've ever known."

I smiled faintly. I had never thought of myself as a leader, but I guess it was true. "Okay, so what's up with Michael?"

"He's in the hospital wing. He went to rescue a first year the Carrows had chained up in the dungeon. He managed to get the first year out, but then he was caught by Filch, who brought him straight to the Carrows."

"How bad?" I asked, sighing and squeezing my eyes shut.

"Bad," Ginny said quietly. "He went into the hospital wing last night and he was unconscious until about an hour ago."

"And you were up there interrogating him?"

"Well, I had to in order to figure out what he did to get tortured so badly. Besides, he didn't mind. Anyway, he almost looks worse than you. Tons of bruises and scratches, but I guess they used the Cruciatus Curse mostly. That's why he was unconscious."

I took a deep breath. "Can we really keep asking people to do this?"

"See, the thing is, I don't think we're really _asking_ them anymore. We did originally, but Michael went to unchain that first year all on his own. It was his idea. And I don't think we can reform the D.A. and get people in on it and then tell them they can't help us and we want to do it alone. I know my brother and Hermione get sick of hearing that sort of thing from Harry all the time."

I nodded. She did have a point after all. "Okay, so what do we do?" I asked her, running a hand through my hair, wincing as my finger hit a nasty cut on my forehead.

"I don't know," she said. "Personally, I-,"

"Neville," Seamus said, coming up to me and Ginny. He had just come through the portrait hole and he looked worried. His face was bruised and puffy from his last detention, and I couldn't help but wince when he passed under the nearest light.

"You've heard about Michael?" I asked.

Seamus nodded. "I think people are getting scared. The Carrows have a general idea who does this stuff and so does Snape. Nobody wants to get tortured like Michael did. This is far worse than just using Umbridge's quills. We're up against an illegal curse now."

"I know," I whispered. "I just don't know what to do anymore. I'm not sure if we should keep pulling big stunts anymore. You know, rescuing first years, refusing to torture them in detentions, the graffiti…"

"You want to give up?" Seamus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, I didn't say that," I answered. "I just wish…" I trailed off and sat down in a chair, resting my chin in my hands as I thought. "There have to be plenty of other things we can do. Unnoticeable things, you know? Have you been listening to Potterwatch?"

Seamus nodded. "Every week. I keep listening to hear anything on Dean. Harry too, of course."

I nodded. "Same here, but I listen for Luna as well. Anyway, my point is that there has to be something along those lines that we can do."

"Should we just lay low then until we can come up with ideas?" Ginny asked, crossing her arms and leaning up against the wall.

I looked up at her. "Yeah, let's just do that. Try to think of ideas and come up with a plan. Use the coins to communicate." I turned to Seamus. "Want to pass the message around to everyone else?"

Seamus nodded. "I will." He turned to walk away, throwing one last glance at me over his shoulder.

"It was Luna's birthday last week," I said to Ginny. It was completely out of nowhere, but I had to say it to someone.

"I know," she whispered. "February 17th."

I nodded. "It was the hardest on that day. Dealing with her being missing, I mean."

Ginny didn't say anything. She reached over and squeezed my hand. "Why don't you try to get some sleep, Neville?"

"No news is good news, right?" I whispered. "Isn't that the saying?"

"What?" Ginny asked.

"If we haven't been hearing anything about Luna, Dean or Harry on Potterwatch, then that's good news, isn't it? No news is good news?"

"Yeah," Ginny said. "I really hope so." She gently nudged me in the direction of the boy's dormitory. "Go get some sleep. I'm going to go to bed too, actually."

I nodded before turning and trudging up the stairs to my dormitory.

* * *

><p>A month later, Ginny had been pulled out of school. The Easter holidays had fallen at the end of March. I had gone home simply because I didn't especially like staying at school anymore. Seamus was staying and he promised to keep me updated on any news. When I got back at the end of the holidays, Seamus informed me that Ginny and the rest of her family had gone into hiding, but I didn't need to be told. Ginny had already sent me a message using her coin. She couldn't tell me anything except she was safe, in hiding, wouldn't be coming back to school and that she was sorry.<p>

To be completely honest, I was a little panicked, but more determined than ever. If it was going to be left all up to me, then I would have to take charge and not show how much I was panicking. That night, I waited until Seamus was asleep before sneaking out of the dorm. It had been just me and Seamus in our dorm all year and we had started to become a lot closer than we had been before. Between the two of us, plus Ginny, someone each of us was close to was on the run or missing. Oddly enough, it was a great thing to bond over.

My heart was hammering in my chest as I made my way to the entrance hall and over to the oak front doors. I didn't open them, but held up my wand instead. It was time for one last act of graffiti.

Two hours later, I lowered my wand and admired my work. _Dumbledore's Army: Still Here _it said. We had carried out what we had agreed on a month ago and laid low, but I didn't want anyone, especially the Carrows to think we had given up and that they had won.

Just before I turned to go, a hand clamped down on my shoulder. I turned to see both Carrows standing behind me, Amycus with his hand on my shoulder and a smirk on his face. "We figured it was you all along," he said, "putting this graffiti on the wall. And now we've finally caught you red handed. Come on, boy, let's go." He roughly began dragging me up the stairs, Alecto cackling quietly behind us.

"Have you been working alone the whole time on this graffiti?" she asked.

"Yes," I lied, even though there was no point in lying. Luna and Ginny were both gone. Either way, I was going to protect them, no matter what.

"Well, then, you're going to be in for a real punishment," Amycus said. "We've been trying to catch the real culprit for months. Of course, we figured you were the leader, so we always blamed you, but now it turns out it really was you the entire time!" He actually sounded gleeful, which made me sick.

I didn't answer, but I winced as he roughly twisted my arm as we walked. "Where are we going?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Back to my office," Amycus said coolly.

I was silent the rest of the way there. Amycus kept twisting my arm every now and then, but I managed to keep quiet. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of letting him know he was hurting me.

"Alecto," Amycus began as we reached his office. He tossed me to the ground and moved to stand in front of me as Alecto shut the door and joined him.

"Yes?" she asked with a gleeful cackle. I couldn't believe how much they actually enjoyed this stuff.

"What do you think we should do for a punishment? The quill? Cruciatus Curse? Give him a few more cuts and bruises?"

"Maybe we could do all three," she suggested, tapping her wand against her palm.

"We could…" Amycus said as if he were thinking it all over. Finally he smirked. "On second thought, those punishments don't seem to work, do they? We've been using them on him all year, and he hasn't learned at all. I think we should go for a different approach." They shared a look and Alecto broke into a grin, almost identical to Amycus's.

"I know what you're thinking," she said, "but maybe we should torture him first anyway. Just for a little fun."

"What are you going to do?" I asked.

"Don't worry, we're not going to kill you," Amycus said. "We don't really want to spill too much pure blood, but you'll find out soon enough. First, though…"

He trailed off and the torture that came after was the worst I'd experienced all year. It was the worst I'd experienced _ever_ for that matter.

"I wonder if this is what his parents looked like before they went wacky," Alecto cackled. "Pathetic and worthless."

"They weren't worthless or pathetic!" I yelled. "They were worth a million of you people!"

"From what I've heard it sure didn't look that way after Bellatrix tortured them!" Amycus laughed. "I heard they're so loopy now that it's almost _funny_."

"Shut up!" I yelled.

"Crucio!"

The only thing I could think of as the torture continued was that I probably did look pathetic. The torture was coming so frequently and so strong that there was no way I could fight back. There was no open window for me to reach my wand. It wasn't like I'd be able to use it anyway. The spell had me curled up in a ball, writing on the ground.

I could hear Luna's voice in my head, telling me to stay positive. _How?_ I thought. _How can I stay positive when, from the looks of it, I'm going the same way as my parents?_

I had no idea what Luna would say to that, but then I realized she'd probably tell me I was stronger than I thought I was. She'd tell me I needed to fight the curse the best I could and focus on something that made me happy. So that's what I did. I thought of her and my other friends; I thought of my parents and my Gran; I thought of the thestrals, the greenhouses, and being at Hogwarts before it turned into what it did; I thought of the D.A and the day I finally mastered the disarming spell. I figured if I was going to go insane, the last things I thought of might as well be happy memories.

But then the spell lifted and I managed to drag my eyelids open. I was okay. Worn out, hurting, and weakened, sure, but I hadn't gone insane from what I could tell. Amycus knelt down next to me and I could hear his wheezy breathing. "If you're not going to comply with our rules, Neville Longbottom, then you leave us no choice. We're going to have to go after your Gran."

"No!" I meant to yell it, but it came out in a raspy whisper. It was hardly intimidating.

Amycus looked up to address Alecto. "Send Dawlish," he said.

"Dawlish? Are you sure? He's not the most powerful…"

"You really think this boy's grandmother is going to require someone powerful?" Amycus laughed. "Send Dawlish."

"Now?" Alecto asked.

"No, next week," Amycus snapped. "Of course now! We don't have time to throw away. Now, go!" Alecto hurried out of the room and Amycus dragged me to my feet. "As for you, you're going to get chained in the dungeons so you won't be able to even _try_ to warn your grandmother."

"She's not as weak as you think," I said confidently.

"Right, I'm sure she's not," Amycus laughed. As soon as we reached the dungeons, he attached chains to my wrists. These were padlocked to the wall and I was grateful it wasn't the ceiling, although there were chains attached to the ceiling in here as well.

"When am I going to be let out?" I chanced asking Amycus.

The man shrugged. "Tomorrow sometime." He paused. "If you're lucky." With that, he laughed and slammed the door, leaving me alone and in silence except for the echo of his laugh around the dingy room.

I sighed and my thoughts drifted to Luna as they always did. We were probably in very similar settings right now, but I just wished we could have at least been together. It would have made being locked up a whole less lonely.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review! And to answer Akela's question, yes I do read every single one of them. I really do appreciate it when people take the time to review. :)**


	26. Chapter 26

_"I'm leavin', never looking back again." _**-Jesse McCartney (Leavin')**

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><p>It was nice and quiet in my house that night, except for the ticking of the clock in the hallway. It was just the way I liked it and it was just what I was used to. Neville had never been a noisy child and our nights were usually quiet. Tonight, though, the absence of noise seemed slightly unnatural, but I didn't mind until I heard the first front porch step squeak. The step had been squeaky for years, but it made me uneasy. I knew something was wrong right away. Firstly, not many people came to visit. I didn't have any family left besides Neville, and most of my friends were gone as well. Besides, who would be visiting me at nearly one in the morning?<p>

So, I guess you could say that I was ready when the door was flung open noisily and roughly to reveal an ugly man wearing all black. I knew he was a Death Eater at once. He didn't see me right away, but I could see him. I was sitting frozen in my rocking chair by the fire and I could see the man's reflection in the window to my left.

"I know you're home!" he yelled, overturning a few chairs in the kitchen as he moved towards the sitting room.

I remained where I was in the dark room, keeping as still as I could. Finally, the man tore into the living room and saw me. He smiled and raised his wand, but I stayed calm and stared at him unblinkingly.

"You're going to need to come with me," he said.

"Dawlish, isn't it?" I said, speaking for the first time. "I recognize you from the wanted posters I used to see hanging around."

"Pretty good memory for such an old lady," Dawlish snickered. "Now, if you don't come quietly, I'm going to have to result to force and I'm sure you don't want that."

"If you don't explain to me what your business here is, _I'm_ going to have to result to force and I'm sure _you_ don't want that," I said calmly. "And let me just say that your reason for breaking down my door better be good. That's going to take some work to fix."

"Your grandson's been misbehaving lately. He's been breaking almost every rule and disobeying the Carrows."

"Oh, yes, I've heard about them," I said.

"From what I've heard, you've got a nasty little grandson with a complete disregard for rules."

I paused before shaking my head. "No, I think I've got a wonderful grandson who knows what he's doing."

"Either way, I'm supposed to take you captive to force him to behave and I'm wasting my time chit chatting. Now let's get a move on."

"Oh, yes, you must be on a very tight schedule. Places to wreck and people to murder, yes?"

"Move it, old lady!" Dawlish barked, jabbing his wand in my face. "And give me this." He snatched my own wand from my hand. "Just in case you want to try any funny business."

"Funny business?" I laughed. "Oh, no, I'm taking this very seriously. If I wasn't, I wouldn't do this." With that, I stood up, grabbed my handbag from where it sat beside me and swung it at Dawlish's face with all the force I could muster. He let out a yell and clutched his face. His nose was broken from the looks of it and his cheek was quickly forming a nasty bruise.

"What do you keep in that bag, lady?" he yelled. "Bricks?"

"No, not exactly," I said, peering into my bag. "Just the typical stuff you'd expect. Oh, and an uncharmed Bludger. Actually, make that two."

"You're crazy!" Dawlish yelped.

I swung my bag at him a few more times until he ended up on the ground, covering his face with his hands. I bent down and ripped both wands from his grip. I tossed his into the fire and pointed my own at him. "Petrificus Totalus." His arms clamped to his sides and he froze, unable to move anything except for his eyes.

"Now, let's see," I muttered. I took both Bludgers out of my bag, and one by one, dropped them onto his face. "Whoops," I said flatly. "It must have been my old lady eyesight. I can't see where I'm putting things." With that, I collected the Bludgers once more and stuffed them in my bag. Stepping on Dawlish's stomach, I marched down the hall to my room and collected a few items before moving to the kitchen and doing the same. Then, I went back into the sitting room and picked up a candle. "Let's see those bruises," I said, leaning forward. The wax collected at the top of the candle spilled onto Dawlish's face. If he could move, I'm sure he would have been screaming and squirming around.

"Oh, I am sorry," I said, not feeling sorry at all. "That must have hurt. Clumsy me." I placed the candle back on the table and picked up my bag again. I gave him one last whack before stepping on him once again as I made my way to the door. "Give my regards to the Carrows," I said with a smirk, "and thank them for me. You know, for underestimating just what an old lady like me can do." With that, I marched out into the night, fighting off a smile as I Disapparated.

* * *

><p>"I think my birthday came and went," I said one morning. I was lying on my back, looking up at the ceiling and trying to calculate the days again. I had been making a mental note every day since our last discussion about the date and if I was correct, it was the end of March.<p>

"Oh?" Ollivander asked. "When's your birthday?"

"It was February 17th, and I turned seventeen. I've been waiting my whole life for this birthday. One, because I'm finally of age, and two because my age would finally match the date I was born on."

"Why didn't you say something on your birthday?" Ollivander asked.

"I didn't think it would make a difference," I said. "Besides, I'm not too sure of the date. I'm pretty sure I've been keeping track properly, but I could be off. I stayed up until three in the morning anyway, though. That's the time I was born. You were sleeping and I didn't want to wake you for something so silly."

"It's not silly in the least," Ollivander said. "You've been a real friend to me down here and besides, seventeen is an important birthday. I could have stayed awake until midnight at least to wish you a happy birthday if you had said something."

"It's all right," I shrugged.

"Ah, well, anyway, I'm sorry you had to spend your birthday down here."

"Yes, it wasn't one of my better birthdays, I'll admit, but at least I had you for company. That was very nice. I just feel bad that you didn't have any company for everything important that you've missed while you were down here."

"I had company this Christmas, though," Ollivander said with a weak smile.

"Looking on the bright side," I grinned. "That's great."

He nodded feebly and I couldn't help but feel terrible inside. Ollivander had grown weaker and weaker every day even though he hadn't actually been tortured in quite some time. He was a lot older than I was and the conditions and lack of food had really taken a toll on his health. Even I wasn't feeling all that great, so I could only imagine how horrible he was feeling.

"Do you hear that?" Ollivander finally asked.

I nodded and sat up straight. There were footsteps coming from upstairs, which was nothing new; we were used to hearing footsteps. This time, however, there was something different. There were more footsteps for one thing. Also, they were more frantic.

"Bring them in here," we heard Bellatrix say. She sounded hopeful, excited even.

"Did they capture someone else?" I asked, standing up and looking at the ceiling. I could hear Bellatrix's voice again. The footsteps had moved into the drawing room, directly above our heads. "I just hope it's not Harry," I whispered.

No sooner had the words left my mouth than I heard Bellatrix announce, "They think they have Potter."

"Come in, then," Draco's mother's voice spoke softly. "Don't just stand by the door. If that is Harry Potter, my son, Draco can tell us."

There was the sound of shuffling feet across the floor. I frowned. My head was buzzing. First of all, how could someone _think_ they had Harry? It was pretty easy to recognize him. Not that his looks normally called attention to himself, but there were a few trademarks like his messy hair and his glasses, and, of course, his scar. Secondly, if they did have Harry, then Ron and Hermione were most likely with him and it sounded like there were more than three people being brought inside. Who else could have been captured?

"Come, Draco," Narcissa's quiet voice said. I heard silence before footsteps moved slowly across the room.

"Well boy?" a harsh voice said impatiently. I recognized it as Greyback. He and Scabior were part of a group of Snatchers and were always in and out of the house.

"Draco?" asked Lucius Malfoy, "is it Harry Potter?"

There was another pause. I waited, holding my breath. I was about to find out if Harry had been caught or not. I crossed my fingers, hoping that the words that left Draco's mouth denied that Harry was here.

"I can't be sure," he said flatly. I could feel my shoulder's slumping. That was no help.

"Look at him carefully!" his father urged. "Come closer!"

I heard two soft footsteps.

"Draco," his father sighed, "if we are the ones who hand Harry Potter over to the Dark Lord, everything will be forgiven and-,"

"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy?" asked Greyback.

"Of course not!" Malfoy's dad said. "What did you do to him, anyway? How did his face get like that?"

"That wasn't us," Greyback said. I could almost picture him shrugging nonchalantly.

"Looks like a Stinging Jinkx to me," Lucius said. Another silence. "There's something there. On his forehead. It could be the scar, but stretched tight. Draco, come here, please, look properly! What do you think?"

"I don't know," Draco said evenly.

Okay, this was really getting strange. It was one thing for the Snatchers to not recognize Harry, but for Draco to not recognize him. Although, it did sound like there was something wrong with Harry's face. Even so, I argued in my head, it couldn't be _that _difficult to identify someone.

"We'd better be sure, Lucius," Narcissa's voice said. "Completely sure that it is Potter before we summon the Dark Lord. They say this is his wand, but it doesn't match Ollivander's description."

I looked at Ollivander, who was frozen in place, his head perked up, listening intently.

"What about the Mudblood, then?" Greyback asked.

"Yes, I recognize her. I saw her in the newspaper! Draco, isn't that the Granger girl?"

"Maybe, yeah," Draco said dismissively.

"But then, that's the Weasley boy!" shouted Lucius. "Draco, isn't this Arthur Weasley's son?"

"Yeah," Draco said, his tone still dismissive. "It could be."

"We've got them!" Lucius said. "I'm sure of it now!"

"Stop!" Bellatrix suddenly shouted, speaking for the first time in a while. "What is that?"

"A sword," said a voice that I didn't recognize.

"Give it to me. Hand it over!" Bellatrix sounded absolutely hysterical.

"Why is she so upset over a sword?" I whispered to Ollivander.

"I don't know," he whispered back. "Surely she's not going to behead anyone…?"

I shrugged as Bellatrix could be heard firing Stunning spells from up above. "Where did you get this sword?" she finally asked. "Snape sent it to my vault in Gringotts."

"It was in their tent," Greyback said. "We found it."

"This is a _very_ serious problem, then," Bellatrix said in a low voice. "The prisoners should be kept in the cellar until I figure out what to do."

"This is my house, Bella," Narcissa said. "You do not give orders in my-,"

"Do it!" Bellatrix screamed, hysterical once more. "You have no idea of the danger we are in!"

"Fine," Narcissa snapped. "Greyback, take them to the cellar."

"Wait," Bellatrix said. "Take all of them except for the Mudblood."

"No!" shouted a voice. This one I did recognize and it made my heart sink. It was Ron. They had definitely been caught. "Take me instead."

I backed up against the wall and looked down at Ollivander. "It's them," I whispered.

Bellatrix's voice floated down to the cellar again. "If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next. Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them down to the cellar, Greyback. Make sure they are secure, but don't do anything more to them just yet."

A few seconds later, a shuffling sound could be heard. The door at the top of the stairs opened and the footsteps continued down the stairs until the door to the cellar opened and closed with a bang. I could just make out some figures in the dark room. I was just about to say something, when a horrible scream sounded from upstairs.

"Hermione!" Ron's voice yelled. I flinched and fought the urge to cover my ears.

"Be quiet!" a voice said. It was definitely Harry. "Ron, stop, we need to figure out a way to-"

"Hermione! Hermione!"

"We need a plan. Stop yelling! We need to get these ropes off."

"Harry?" I finally whispered through a break in Ron's yelling. "Ron? Is that you?"

"Luna?" Harry asked. He sounded surprised.

"Yes, it's me," I said, stepping closer. "Oh, this is awful. I didn't want you to get caught."

"Luna, can you help us get these ropes off?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes, I expect so…There's an old nail down here somewhere….Just a moment…."

Hermione screamed again and I winced. Whatever Bellatrix was doing to her, it was sure to be ugly. Ron started in on yelling again, so I had to cross the room to Ollivander so that he would be able to hear me when I talked.

"Mr. Ollivander? Do you know where that old nail is? I think it's over in that corner just behind you."

"Yes, here it is," Ollivander said, holding a shaky hand out to me, the nail held between his fingers.

"Thank you," I said before returning to Harry and Ron. "You two will need to hold still."

Ron stopped yelling and flailing around, so I started sawing at the ropes with the nail, but then Bellatrix's voice came from upstairs again.

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?"

"We found it—we found it!" Hermione screamed.

Ron started moving around again and the nail slipped. "Ron, please stay still! I don't want to hurt you with the nail and it doesn't help much that I can't see what I'm doing!"

"In my pocket," Ron said, "there's a Deluminator and it's full of light!"

"Which pocket?" I asked.

"My left one!" he answered.

I reached into his left pocket and my fingers closed on a small object. I pulled it out and clicked the button on the top. A few balls of light flew from it and hung in the air. "Oh, much better," I said, slipping the Deluminator back into Ron's pocket. "Thanks, Ron. Oh, and hello, Dean! I didn't know you were here as well!"

Dean didn't get a chance to answer me because Bellatrix was yelling again. "You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth!"

"Hermione!" Ron yelled as Hermione shrieked again.

"What else did you take? Tell me the truth or I shall run you through with this knife!"

I gently bit on my tongue as I sawed at the ropes harder and harder. It was hard to concentrate and think clearly with the yelling and the screaming from above us, but finally I managed to cut through the ropes completely. "There, I got it!"

"Thanks," Dean said.

"You look terrible," I remarked. "All of you, but you especially, Dean."

"You don't look too great yourself," Dean said. He was shivering slightly. "You're really pale and dirty and you look like you haven't eaten in weeks."

"We basically haven't. They don't give us much." I turned to look at Ron, who was trying to Disapparate without a wand. "There's no way out, Ron. The cellar is escape proof. I'm assuming none of you have wands. Mr. Ollivander and I don't either. Mr. Ollivander has been here for a very long time and he's tried everything. Nothing works."

Hermione was screaming again and Ron had resorted to running madly around the cellar and banging on the walls.

"That's only going to break your hands," I said. "The walls are quite strong." He ignored me. Harry was now pulling things out of his pockets. He pulled out a Snitch and shook it before putting it back. He reached into his sock and pulled out a jagged mirror piece. "That's a curious thing to keep in your sock," I said. He ignored me as well.

"Help us!" he yelled at the mirror. "We're in the basement of Malfoy Manor, help us!"

"How very odd," I said curiously.

"How did you get into my vault?" Bellatrix screamed. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

It was then that I noticed the goblin that had accompanied Harry, Ron and Dean into the basement. He had been silent the whole time.

"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been to your vault. The sword is a copy!"

"A copy? Oh, that's likely," Bellatrix snorted.

"We can find out easily!" Lucius finally interjected. "Draco, fetch the goblin. He can tell us whether the sword is real or not."

"Griphook," Harry said, approaching the goblin and kneeling down to his level. "You have to tell them the sword is a fake. They can't know it's the real one. Do you understand?"

The goblin didn't make any move to answer, but Harry had to spring away from him as footsteps came down the stairs. Ron clicked his Deluminator and the lights went out again just before Draco Malfoy opened the door and stepped into the room. He grabbed the goblin and headed for the door without as much as a glance at the rest of us. At the same moment that he slammed the door shut, a crack echoed throughout the cellar. Unless I was mistaken, that was the sound of someone Apparating. Ron instantly clicked the Deluminator and the room was once again filled with light.

"Dobby?" Harry asked incredulously.

I blinked a few times. Dobby the house elf was standing in the middle of the cellar, looking around at all of us with his large eyes. "Harry Potter," he squeaked. "Dobby has come to rescue you and your friends."

I grinned. Finally, there was a chance of getting out of this cellar and going to some place that had light, was warm, and hopefully had lots of food, especially pudding. But best of all, I would be able to see my father and Neville again. That idea alone was better than all the pudding in the world.


	27. Chapter 27

_"Someday somebody's gonna make you wanna turn around and say goodbye. 'Til then baby are you gonna let them hold you down and make you cry?"_

**-Wilson Phillips (Hold On)**

* * *

><p>"Hello, Dobby," I said politely, my excitement at seeing the elf showing all over my face.<p>

"Oh, Miss Luna," he squeaked. "Dobby has been missing your frequent visits to the kitchens."

"I've been missing them, too," I replied honestly.

"Dobby," Harry interrupted quickly, "you can Disapparate out of this cellar?"

"Of course, sir, I'm an elf," Dobby answered with a shrug.

"Brilliant. And you can take humans with you?"

Dobby nodded. "Yes, Harry Potter, I can."

"Great, so what I want you to do is to grab Luna, Dean, and Mr. Ollivander and bring them to—to-,"

"Harry, we want to help you," I said.

"Yeah, we can't leave you here," Dean chimed in.

"No," Harry said, "you have to go. You have to bring Ollivander to safety and help him. Dobby, I want you to bring them to—er…"

"Bill and Fleur's," Ron chimed in. "Shell Cottage on the outskirts of Tinworth."

Dobby nodded again. He came to stand between me and Dean. I reluctantly turned and headed for Mr. Ollivander, reaching for his arm. I wanted to help the man, but I also wanted to help Harry. I couldn't have it both ways, though. "Mr. Ollivander, come on, you have to stand up." I grabbed both of his arms and pulled him to his feet. Supporting most of his weight, I slowly made my way to stand beside Dobby. "Whenever you're ready, sir," I said with a smile,

"'Sir'?" Dobby squeaked, smiling at me. "I always knew I liked you very much, Miss Luna."

"Okay, so Dobby," Harry said, "bring them to Shell Cottage and then come right back."

"Harry," I began, but he cut me off.

"We just need to get Hermione," Harry said. "We'll basically be right behind you, now go. We'll see you at Bill and Fleur's."

I looked at Dean, who gave me a shrug so small, I barely noticed it. I looked down at Dobby's outstretched hand before taking it. Dean did the same and at the moment he did, Dobby Apparated us away. The last thing I heard was another scream from Hermione and the last things I saw were Harry and Ron's blurry figures as I left three of my closest friends alone in Malfoy Manor.

* * *

><p>"So, tell me again, <em>what<em> exactly did your grandmother do?" Seamus asked me as we headed quickly back to Gryffindor tower. Seamus had come early that morning and rescued me from the dungeons, a letter from my Gran clutched in his fist. Apparently, the owl that had delivered it had woken Seamus up and when he saw my empty bed, he assumed the worst.

"She said that she hit the Death Eater repeatedly with her bag, dropped Bludgers and hot wax on his face, put a body bind curse on him, and then stepped on him on her way out," I grinned, skimming my Gran's letter once more. On the way back to the tower, I had simultaneously read the letter and given Seamus a rundown of what had happened the night before filling him in on what my Gran's letter said.

"That's brilliant, Neville!" Seamus laughed.

"She's on the run, now," I said, scanning the end of the letter. I broke into a grin. "But she says that she's proud of me, that I really am my parents' son and to keep up the good work."

"That's great, Neville," Seamus said earnestly as we entered the common room. Sun was just starting to stream through the windows and I stood at one, thinking.

"What's wrong?" Seamus asked.

"Since they didn't get Gran, there's no way for them to make me behave," I whispered. The realization had just dawned on me. "What do you think they'll do?" I asked.

"They've run out of options," Seamus said. "They can't do anything else."

"They aren't going to give up just like that," I answered, shaking my head.

"They aren't going to kill you," Seamus said, trying to sound confident, but it came out sounding half like a question.

"They might," I answered, knowing that it was still an option. "Either that or they'll send me to Azkaban. Those are the only two ways they can make sure I don't cause any more trouble."

"Neville, that's crazy," Seamus said.

"Yeah, well, _they're_ crazy," I said. "I'm not going to take any chances. I've got to go."

"Go where?"

"I've got to disappear."

"Disappear _where_, Neville?" Seamus asked. "You're going to go on the run? How are you going to lead Dumbledore's Army if you're on the run?"

I blinked at him. "I'm not much of a leader," I said.

"Are you kidding?" Seamus asked. "You, Ginny and Luna reforming the D.A. has been the best thing that's happened all year. It's what's kept us all sane. We could have done without the torturing of course, but you've done such a good job. If you leave, there will be no leaders left. The D.A. will fall apart."

"You could always lead it…" I suggested feebly. I said it just for the sake of arguing. The truth was that I loved running and being a part of the D.A. too much to leave it.

"Me?" Seamus snorted. "The D.A. should be run by the people it meant the most to. That's you, Luna and Ginny."

"Well, I can't stay here, or else the Carrows will come after me. I need to find a place to hide, at least, and I need to do it today. Soon, the Carrows will see that I found a way out of the dungeons."

"Is there anywhere in Hogsmeade that you can hide?" Seamus asked.

"No, Death Eaters are always on patrol," I answered, shaking my head. "And I can't go back to my Gran's house. They'll look for me there when they find out I'm gone."

There was a moment of complete silence as the two of us thought. "Oh, before I forget," Seamus said suddenly. "It's on somewhat of an unrelated note, but I forgot to tell you yesterday. Remember when you said you wanted to do some underground work for the D.A. and you wanted us to let you know if we came up with any ideas?"

"Yeah," I replied, somewhat impatiently. "Why, you have one?"

"Why not organize meetings in the same room as before? That secret one with the door that appears on the wall, you know? It worked well last time. The only reason Umbridge ever found us was because of that tattletale Marietta."

I blinked at him a few times. "Seamus, you're a genius!"

"What?" he asked flatly.

"I can hide there! I can hide in the Room of Requirement! It's designed to appear as whatever the user needs when they walk by it! If I walk by and ask for a suitable hiding place, then it'll give me one and I technically won't ever have to leave Hogwarts!"

"But what about the D.A.?" Seamus asked.

"I can run it from there. I'll still be in Hogwarts, like I said. Better yet, why don't we get everyone else to hide out there, too? We can use it like you said, for meetings and to do all our underground stuff, but I can hide in there as well."

"And, what, we're all going to drop out of school?" Seamus asked. "I mean, I hate it here now, but I still want to finish school. We're so close to being done."

"Whoever wants to can still go to classes, but instead of going to their dormitories afterwards, they'll come back to the Room of Requirement," I shrugged. "Although, personally, I don't see why they'd want to go to classes. We're hardly learning anything."

"True," Seamus said. "Classes aren't what's really important right now anyway." He looked up at me with a grin. "There are bigger things to worry about…like the D.A."

I smiled back. "So, how about I head there now and get the room set up and see what it decides to give us, and you can send messages to the rest of the D.A. and tell them what we're doing. Get everyone to come to the Room of Requirement straight away."

"Got it," Seamus said. As he reached into his pocket for his coin, I headed for the portrait hole. It swung open and I froze. The Carrows were standing just outside, clearly having been about to give the password.

"Ah, Longbottom," Amycus smirked, "just who we wanted to see."

I glanced back at Seamus, who was frozen in place with his mouth hanging open and his coin in his hands. I turned back to the Carrows. "I'd love to stay and chat, but I'm busy trying to bring people like you down, so goodbye."

Amycus lunged at me, but I darted away from him. Alecto grabbed my arm, but I poked her in the eye with my wand, which I thankfully and somewhat miraculously still had. She let go of my arm and I took off. I smiled as I ran down the hallway, Seamus's cheers of encouragement and the Carrow's shouts of rage echoing in my ears. After a few moments, I heard footsteps behind me. Glancing over my shoulder, my smile slipped off my face. The Carrows were chasing after me and quickly closing in on me. I hadn't prepared for this.

Now I was beginning to panic, but I kept running. The Carrows were shooting spells at me and I was dodging them the best I could. One grazed my cheek and I felt a sting before feeling the slow dripping of blood. One more injury to add to my collection.

"Crucio!"

I yelped and fell to the ground as the spell hit me. It only lasted for that split second, though. I don't think whichever Carrow had used it expected it to hit me. I jumped to my feet and continued to run, trying to think clearly. I couldn't go to the Room of Requirement. The Carrows would catch up to me in the time that I would take to walk past the wall three times. Besides, in the slim chance that I did manage to get inside, they'd know where I was. I could always hide behind a tapestry or a suit of armor, or even a secret passageway. If only I knew them as well as the Weasley twins or Filch, though. I just barely knew a few of them before, but now that I was under pressure, I couldn't think of a single one.

One thing that was in my favor was that I was beginning to wear the Carrows out. They were losing ground quickly now. I rounded a corner and desperately looked for a place to hide, eventually taking cover in an empty classroom to my right. I didn't know if the Carrows would check the room, so I again searched for a place to hide. In the end, I crawled under the teacher's desk, which just so happened to be the length of my body. I positioned myself flat underneath the underside of the desk, using my hands and feet to keep me in place. After that, I waited and prayed my limbs wouldn't slip and cause me to land flat on my face. I did not need another broken nose.

Just as I had suspected, the Carrows threw open the door and scanned the room. "I don't think he's in here," Alecto said.

"He could be under a desk," Amycus insisted.

"Do you _see_ him under a desk?" Alecto asked impatiently. "He's not in here, now let's go. The longer we wait, the farther away he'll run from us."

I heard the door shut and I breathed a sigh of relief. I waited another minute before gently lowering myself from the underside of the desk and crawling out from under it. I tiptoed to the door and peeked outside. The hallway was empty. It was then that I noticed that my coin was pulsating heat, which was what it did when there was a waiting, unread message. Luna's was doing the same. Seamus must have sent out a universal message to everyone. I checked the messages on both coins before nodding in satisfaction and leaving the classroom.

The Room of Requirement was one floor up and two hallways down. I darted through the empty hallways as quickly and as silently as possible. When I reached the empty stretch of wall, I checked over my shoulder before pacing in front of it three times. _I need a place to hide where the Carrows can't get in. I need a place to hide where the Carrows can't get in. I need a place to hide where the Carrows can't get in,_ I chanted in my head.

After the third time I walked by, the door to the Room of Requirement immediately began to form on the wall. I smiled. In my fifth year, the Room of Requirement felt like a home inside of a home; a home when Hogwarts didn't always feel like home anymore. It was the same thing, now, but this time it really was going to serve as a home, because I was going to be living there.

Once the door had completely formed, I opened it and stepped inside, a grin forming on my face. It was a small room, with Gryffindor decorations, a hammock, and even a small bathroom. It was perfect. Well, for now at least.

The door closed behind me and I went to sit on the hammock, gently swinging back and forth. Seamus and the others would be getting here soon and I had to have something to tell them, so I rested my head in my hands and squeezed my eyes shut as I started to think.

* * *

><p>With a pop, Dobby, Dean, Mr. Ollivander and I appeared at Shell Cottage. I took a deep breath as I tried to regain my balance. I hadn't Apparated since last summer when I had practiced with Ginny. It had been nearly a year and I was back to being unaccustomed to the feeling. Besides, I still had a very weak Ollivander leaning against me. "Are you all right?" I asked him.<p>

Mr. Ollivander feebly nodded his head. It didn't look like he was doing that great. He really needed a lot of rest, which thankfully, he could now get.

"Dobby must go back to get Harry Potter!" the elf squeaked. "You three are safe now."

"Thank you, Dobby," I told the elf. "You saved our lives."

"It was my pleasure, Miss Luna," the elf said before Disapparating.

I bit my lip. I wanted to wait outside for Harry, but I had to get Ollivander inside. "Dean," I said, "would you mind helping Ollivander inside? I want to wait here until Harry gets back."

"Luna, you can't stay out here," Dean said. "It's cold and you need to rest."

"I've been resting for months," I answered.

"In a cellar," Dean argued. "Come inside."

I shook my head. "I want to wait here."

Dean didn't answer right away, but he finally nodded and took Ollivander from me, leading him slowly back towards the cottage. I watched them go for a few seconds before turning to face the ocean and sitting down in the sand. I brought my knees to my chest and wrapped my arms around them as I waited. It started to drizzle, but I still didn't move. I loved watching the ocean, even though I hardly got to go anywhere near one except on the occasion that one of my trips with dad brought us to one.

"Luna," said a voice from behind me. I looked over my shoulder. Dean was back.

"Hello, Dean," I said.

"You should really get inside. I don't want you to get sick."

I shrugged. "I trust Bill and Fleur will be able to make me better in no time if I do get sick."

Dean sat down next to me. "Here, at least take my jacket." He shrugged it off and gave it to me. I took it and wrapped it around my shoulders. It _was_ cold. The cellar had been cold as well, but at least we had blankets there. They were thin, but at least they were available.

"Is Ollivander resting?" I asked.

Dean nodded. "Bill brought him up to one of the guest rooms. They're going to help him bathe and everything."

"Oh, good," I answered.

"Are you sure you don't want to-?"

"I'm sure, but thank you," I said.

Dean nodded. He then sighed, shifted to the left and pulled something out of his right pocket. "This thing has been buzzing for the past half an hour or so."

I looked up to see him holding his Dumbledore's Army coin. "There's a message on it?" I asked curiously, sliding over to look at it. "What does it say?"

"It's from Seamus," Dean answered, his brow furrowing. "It says the D.A. is going to take refuge in the Room of Requirement from now on. It was a message for everyone to meet there." Dean looked up at me. "Seamus must have sent out a message to everyone even though not everyone's there. Did you get one?"

I shrugged. "I wouldn't know. I left my coin in my trunk before I was taken off the train." I paused. "Dean, may I borrow your coin for a minute? I'd like to send a message to Neville and let him know I'm okay."

"Sure," Dean answered, passing the coin to me. I took it gratefully and typed out a message.

_Neville, it's Luna. I'm with Dean and I'm borrowing his coin. We're both alive and we're both safe. I'm not sure if I can tell you where I am, but it's very lovely. It's better than where I was staying before. I'll fill you in when I see you. I miss you so much. Love, Luna._

As I was handing Dean his coin back, there was a cracking sound. My head snapped up. Dobby was back with Harry, Hermione, Ron and Griphook. Ron was holding Hermione, who looked barely conscious. Griphook looked a little dazed, but otherwise okay. Finally, my eyes fell on Harry, kneeling in the sand and holding Dobby who had just collapsed into his arms. My breath caught in my throat. The poor little elf who saved our lives and had always been so kind to me had a knife sticking out of his chest.


	28. Chapter 28

_"You give me one good reason to fight and never walk away, so here I am still holding on." _

**-Kris Allen (No Boundaries)**

* * *

><p>The sound of a door opening finally caused me to look up. Seamus was slipping into the room with Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown and the rest of the Gryffindor students who had been a part of the D.A. this year.<p>

"Everyone else should be coming," Seamus said. "I sent out a message to everyone who has a coin. It was just easier that way."

"Yeah, I figured. Luna's coin got the message," I said.

"At least now the members who aren't here are aware of what we're doing and where we are," Seamus shrugged. "Even if they can't get here then at least they know."

I nodded. "The only problem is that I don't think this room is big enough for all those people. I asked it for a hiding place where the Carrows couldn't get in, but-"

"You mean this is it?" Lavender asked as she looked around the room with her nose crinkled. "There's only one hammock. And this bathroom!" She walked over to the bathroom and looked inside. "It's hardly suitable."

I don't know how it happened, exactly. All I know is that I blinked and when I opened my eyes there were enough hammocks for everyone and the bathroom was bigger.

"Oh," Lavender said, looking pleased. "That's much better." Parvati nodded in agreement at her side.

Seamus looked dumbfounded. "I don't believe it," he said, shaking his head.

I shrugged and smiled. "Well, it looks like the room's just going to keep growing as more people show up, so that's that taken care of."

"Does the room supply food?" Parvati asked. "If we're going to be staying in here then we're going to need it."

I looked around after she had finished talking. Nothing was happening and I didn't see any food or a kitchen appearing. "Yeah, we're going to need food," I muttered. No sooner had the words left my mouth than a painting hanging on the other side of the room swung forward. I had barely noticed it since I had gotten here because it was simply a painting of an empty dirt road with grass on both sides. It was nothing that special in addition to being seemingly useless until now. I glanced at Seamus, who shrugged.

"You stay here," I said. "Wait for other people to come. I'll be right back." I walked through the door, which swung shut behind me. I looked over my shoulder before nervously looking ahead. I was in a dirt passageway, lined every so often with lanterns. I guess I had no choice but to follow it. When I reached the end, I didn't see a door, but instead what looked like the back of a canvas painting. I gently pushed on a strip of wood going across the back and it swung forward, revealing another room.

Looking down, I saw the top of a mantle. The painting was hanging over a fireplace. I hopped down and the painting swung closed. Turning, I saw a portrait of a young girl that I didn't recognize.

"Who are you?" a gruff voice asked.

I turned around again to see an old man standing at a door across the room. I recognized him as the owner of the Hog's Head, but there was also something else familiar about him. "I'm Neville Longbottom," I answered. "I just…well, I was in school and I found this passageway…." I trailed off and looked up at the portrait.

"You're hanging out in the Room of Requirement?" the man asked.

"Yeah, how'd you know?"

"I think I'd know where that passageway led," he answered, moving around the room absentmindedly. "I think the real question is if _you_ know where it led you just now."

"I'm in the Hog's Head. This must be the second floor. I recognize you."

"I recognize you as well. You were in here only once. With that group of kids."

"Dumbledore's Army, yeah."

The man flinched slightly and suddenly it struck me why else he looked familiar. "You look just like—well, never mind."

"I know what you're going to say," the man said, not looking at me. Instead, he was staring just over my head at the portrait of the young girl. "I'm his brother."

"His brother?" I repeated.

He nodded.

"I never knew-,"

"Never knew he had a brother?"

"No, I just never knew you were here the whole time."

"You probably only knew about me from Rita Skeeter's book, correct?"

"I've never read the book," I said, feeling the need to defend myself, "but I've heard people talking about it, yes."

Aberforth didn't move. He simply continued to stare at the portrait on the wall. "That book's a load of rubbish."

"I figured as much," I answered.

"Do you know who she is?" Aberforth suddenly asked, gesturing to the painting.

"No," I answered honestly. I was a little confused as well. I had come here hoping to get food, and now I was sitting in the middle of a Dumbledore family history lesson.

"She was my younger sister."

"I didn't-,"

"Didn't know there was a sister?"

"Yeah, but that's not what I-,"

"It's all right, boy. Hardly anyone knew about her. Then, that book came out and made her look like a freak. It made the whole family look like a bunch of freaks."

"I thought it was a load of rubbish."

"It is, but there are people who believe that dimwit liar of an author. If you can even call her that."

There was a pause. "What's her name?" I asked, going to stand beside him and turning to look at the picture.

"Ariana," he answered quietly. "She died when she was fourteen."

"I'm sorry," I said. I truly was, too. From what I had gathered due to people gossiping and from Aberforth's information, it didn't seem like the Dumbledore's had had an easy life.

Aberforth gave a deep sigh and turned for the door. "I'm guessing you came for food?"

"Yeah," I answered, surprised at the sudden change of subject.

Aberforth nodded. "The room of Requirement doesn't actually supply food, so it just connects to my pub instead. Convenient for whoever's inside. Not so convenient for me."

"Er, sorry," I said, following him through the door and down a flight of stairs.

"Don't be sorry," he said. "Things are that bad up at the school?"

"Yeah," I answered. "I've got the whole D.A. hiding out in the Room of Requirement. We sent messages to the whole group, even the people who graduated, just to let them know. They obviously won't be coming back just yet. They've been doing their own thing. Potterwatch and all that."

"They wouldn't be able to come back here anyway," Aberforth said as he put together packages of food. "People can't Apparate out on the street. The Death Eaters have set up a Caterwauling Charm. It's been a bloody pain in the neck, I'll tell you."

"I didn't even know that," I whispered. "Thanks for letting me know. I'll send them another message now, then." I immediately began sending messages to the members of the D.A. who had already graduated, letting them know that there was a Caterwauling Charm put on Hogsmeade and that they should just ignore Seamus's message from earlier.

"You know," Aberforth said thoughtfully, "are you sure what you're doing is going to be worth it?"

"No, I'm not sure. Half the time I have no idea what I'm doing anyway," I said, smiling as I remembered Harry's speech at the first D.A. meeting. "I don't know what's going to happen, but I need to try."

"You're going to keep fighting until the very end, aren't you?" Aberforth sighed.

"Of course," I answered.

"Why? I thought things were bad at Hogwarts. Things are certainly bad here."

"They are bad, but that's why we're doing this." I paused. "I never used to be this way," I said with a small laugh, looking down at the worn floorboards. "When I was younger, I was afraid of everything, from detentions to Professor Snape to my very own shadow. I couldn't stand up to anyone. People have said I've changed, but I never really thought I did until now."

"Why the change?" Aberforth asked.

"I'm not sure," I answered. "Seamus said Luna, my girlfriend, helped the change along. Maybe she did. She was taken away by Death Eaters in December. I don't even know if she's alive. I've been miserable ever since, but I also felt like I was fighting harder so that this would be over and she could come back. She almost became a huge part of the reason why I was fighting. She wouldn't have wanted me to give up, either. You know, you probably saw her in here that same day I was here. You know, with the D.A."

"Was she the one sitting next to you? Blonde hair? Huge eyes?"

I nodded. "That's her."

"Yeah, I know who she is. I caught her out back more than once trying to feed my goats."

I laughed. "I never knew she did that. Yeah, she likes animals. Loves them, really." I looked down again and sighed as my stomach twisted. I missed her so much it hurt. "Lately, though, I've been worried that if I ever see her again, she's going to think I've changed too and I'm not going to be the same guy she flew in love with."

"_Flew_ in love with?"

"Sorry, it was a habit. Luna thought saying 'falling in love' sounded dangerous. She thought flying sounded safer."

"Oh," Aberforth said. "So why wouldn't you be the same guy she fell-sorry, _flew_-in love with? Because you've changed?"

I nodded. "Yeah, we've been apart for so long. What if she doesn't like me anymore?"

"Well, it sounds like you've changed for the better, first of all, so it's not a change that she'll dislike. Unless she likes cowards."

"We started dating when I _was _a coward," I muttered.

Aberforth didn't seem to know how to answer this. "You could always give her that speech you gave me. You know, how you were fighting for her. Don't girls love that stuff?"

"Luna's not like other girls."

"I figured," Aberforth answered. "Anyway, I guess you can only wait until you see her again. If you see her again, that is. You are aware that she might not come back, aren't you?"

I nodded. "I know." And it was true. I did know she might not come back. That was one bad thing about positive thinking. When you tried to think that things would turn out okay, it was that much worse when they didn't.

"Things don't always turn out okay in the end," Aberforth said. "Especially in war. People you love get killed."

I knew he was thinking about his sister then. I nodded as I thought about the conversation we had just had. I must have been losing it. I had just had somewhat of a heart to heart with the owner of the Hog's Head, who just so happened to be my dead headmaster's brother. It had felt good to get it off my chest, though, and I knew that I couldn't tell any of that to Seamus. At least Aberforth hadn't laughed at me.

"Want a drink before you head back?" Aberforth asked, pulling out two glasses.

I shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

As Aberforth poured two glasses of butterbeer, I felt my coin grow warm against my chest. I pulled it out, thinking it was a reply from one of the D.A. members I had just sent a message to, but when I started reading it, my heart stopped. It was from _Luna_. She was okay! And so was Dean!

"What's wrong with you, boy?" Aberforth asked.

I looked up and blinked at him. "What?"

"You look like you're about to collapse. I'm going to have to ask you to not do that in the middle of my pub. It's going to involve a lot of trouble getting you to St. Mungo's now that everywhere is basically under Death Eater scrutiny."

"I'm not—I'll be fine," I managed to breathe out. "It's Luna. She just sent me a message and she's alive!"

"Well that is happy news," Aberforth said. He picked up his glass and tilted it towards me. I held up my own and tapped it against his. "Now she just needs to get back to you."

"Exactly," I answered, grinning.

"I haven't heard good news in a while," Aberforth sighed.

"It sure seems that way," I answered, sighing as well. "I mean, I still don't know where she is, but I know she's alive and that she's okay. And just maybe I'm this much closer to seeing her again."

"I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you," Aberforth said, finishing off his drink.

"Why not?" I asked.

"You never know. Those Death Eaters…they're everywhere. They know what they're doing. Luna might be fine now, but in the next second she could be dead." He paled. "Just like my sister."

I was silent as I stared at him, trying to not feel horrified. "Listen, Ab, maybe have a point, but all I know is that I just found out that Luna's alive when I didn't know for months what had happened to her. She was always telling me to think positive and that's just what I intend on doing. I think we all need to do that at a time like this, don't you agree?"

Aberforth didn't answer. Instead, he gathered up the food he had packed and held it out to me. "This should be enough for a week. If and when you need more, you know where to find me."

"Thanks, Ab," I said. "I appreciate it."

"Don't mention it," he answered gruffly. "Now get on back to your friends before they start eating the walls."

I half smiled and headed up the stairs before climbing back into the passageway behind Ariana's portrait. I felt like taking a leaf out of Luna's book and skipping all the way back. The rest of the world could have been and might have been crumbling down around me at that moment, but I wouldn't have noticed because Luna was okay and that was the only thought filling my mind.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to review! I appreciate the reviews I've been getting so far :)**

**I wasn't sure about the whole conversation between Aberforth and Neville. I was almost nervous to keep it in, but in the end I decided to leave it, so hopefully it wasn't too out of place.**


	29. Chapter 29

"_When the road looks rough ahead and you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed, you just remember what your old pal said. You've got a friend in me." _

**–Randy Newman (You've Got a Friend In Me)**

* * *

><p>"Dobby?" Harry squeaked out. He looked up at Ron. "Do you know if Hermione has any more of that dittany? Give it to me, quickly, please."<p>

Ron didn't move. Instead, he just shook his head. "Harry, I don't-,"

"Help me!" Harry begged desperately.

Fighting the lump in my throat, I knelt down beside Harry and Dobby.

"Dobby, no, don't die, don't die," Harry said quietly.

"Such a lovely place to be with friends," Dobby whispered. "Dobby is happy to be with his friends…"

With that the elf gave a little shudder and grew still. I took a shaky breath and reached over Harry's arm. "We should close his eyes," I whispered, sliding Dobby's eyes closed as I spoke. "There, now he could be sleeping."

I hadn't noticed, but Bill and Fleur had apparently heard us outside and had joined us. They were silent for a few minutes before Fleur whispered for Ron to bring Hermione inside and for Dean to bring Griphook. They nodded before obeying her orders in silence. Fleur squeezed Bill's arm and gave him a sad look before heading back to the cottage after the others, throwing one last look over her shoulder as she went.

"Will Hermione be okay?" Harry asked, not looking up from Dobby's limp body.

"Yeah, she should be," Bill answered, nodding. "Harry, if you want, Fleur and I have no problem with Dobby being buried here."

"Oh, yes," I agreed instantly. "Dobby deserves a proper burial." I brushed a few stray tears from my face as I stood up.

"I want to do it properly," Harry said, looking up for the first time. "Without magic."

Bill nodded. "I have a shovel in the shed out back. I can get it for you while you pick a spot to bury him."

Harry nodded before taking off his jacket and wrapping Dobby in it. Then, he stood and began making his way through the dunes and hills surrounding the cottage.

"Luna, you should get inside," Bill said, reaching out a hand.

I nodded and headed back to the house. Bill put his hand on my shoulder and guided me back inside where I was almost immediately pounced on by Fleur. Apparently, she had already gotten everyone else situated.

"You weel be sharing a room weeth Hermione," she told me as she led me up the stairs and down a hallway. "I hope you don't mind."

"No, of course not," I answered. "How is she?"

"Sleeping. She eez steel a little weak, but she weel be okay."

"Good," I nodded.

Fleur stopped at the end of the hallway. "This eez your room. You want to get cleaned up, though, yes?"

"Yes, please," I answered, "but after I go to Dobby's funeral." I looked down at my purple shirt. "I don't think I'm wearing the appropriate color."

Fleur smiled softly. "It'll do, but if eet helps," she opened a door to her right, which turned out to be a closet, and pulled out a black coat, "you can wear this coat. It's cold out there."

"Thank you," I said, slipping the coat on and heading out the door, Fleur, as well as Dean, right behind me. When I reached the spot where Harry was burying Dobby, I saw that Ron and Bill were already there. Ron had pulled off his socks and slipped them onto Dobby's feet. "Dobby would have loved those," I said.

"They're just plain socks," Ron muttered, "and they're dirty and smelly."

"He still would have loved them," I answered as Harry lowered Dobby into the hand-dug grave. "I think we ought to say something. I'll go first, shall I?"

"Go ahead," Bill said.

I paused as I thought of what to say. It didn't require much thinking. "Thank you so much, Dobby, for rescuing me from that cellar. It's so unfair that you had to die, when you were so good and brave. I'll always remember what you did for us. I hope you're happy now." I looked at Ron. "Your turn."

Ron looked surprised, as if he hasn't expected to have to say something. He cleared his throat. "Yeah, thanks, Dobby."

"Thanks," Dean echoed.

"Good-bye, Dobby," Harry whispered.

Bill raised his wand and the pile of dirt next to the grave fell neatly back into the hole, covering Dobby up forever. I chewed on my lip for a few seconds before turning to head back to the house. If I stayed there any longer, I knew I would cry and I didn't want to do that.

Fleur caught up with me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "I'll show you to the bathroom so you can get cleaned up," she said quietly.

"Thank you very much," I answered gratefully.

"Dobby seemed like a very special elf," Fleur added.

"He was," I sighed. "When I was at school, I used to feed the animals. I'd get the food from the kitchens, where the house elves worked. Dobby was my friend. And he rescued me from that cellar. He rescued all of us."

Fleur nodded. "You're welcome to come back any time," she said. "If you want to veesit him."

I smiled at her. "I'd like that."

"You're more than welcome to veesit me and Bill as well," she said with a slight smile.

"Of course. I wouldn't come to visit Dobby without visiting you and Bill."

We had reached the house now and Fleur led me up the stairs, stopping halfway down the hallway and opening a door to her right. "Here is the bathroom. Everything you need is in here. I can get you a change of clothes. If you need anything, let me know."

I nodded once more before going into the bathroom and shutting the door behind me. I leaned against it and sank down to the ground. Even though I was inside now, I still felt slightly cold. I felt like I had to cry, but no tears were coming out. I wished I had my own coin so that I could send a message to Neville, telling him about Dobby. I didn't want to keep borrowing somebody else's.

Standing up and crossing to the window, I looked out at the ocean. I watched the waves crashing forward one after one for a few minutes before scanning the sand and the dunes. I could see Dobby's grave from where I was. Harry was still out there. He was alone now and I could see that he appeared to be etching something into a makeshift gravestone. I made a mental note to go read it later.

As I was watching Harry, I remembered something that I had told him nearly two years ago after his godfather died. It was something my mother had always told me. The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect. Thinking of this made me smile to myself. While I was still upset over losing Dobby, remembering my mother's words made me feel a little bit better. It made me feel like Dobby wasn't completely gone after all.

* * *

><p>I returned through the portrait in the Room of Requirement to find more people inside than before. It looked as if all of the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs had shown up by now and they were all staring at me.<p>

"Neville, that painting is—well, I don't know what it is," Seamus said, "but when you went through it earlier, we could _see_ you."

"What do you mean you could see me?" I asked, moving to the middle of the room and depositing the food on the floor. Everyone crowded around at once, climbing down from hammocks and hurrying across the room to sit in a circle around the food.

"You were in the painting. We watched you walk down the path until you weren't visible anymore. Then, we saw you walking back just now. Where did you end up, anyway?" Seamus sat down and began rifling through some of the food packages,

"Hold on," I muttered before turning to the group. "Excuse me," I said. Nobody listened. Everyone was too busy looking at the food. I sighed and took a deep breath. "Listen up!" That got everyone to freeze and look up at me. "This food is meant to last us about a week. We have access to more, but nonetheless, I don't want to run out of food before we're scheduled to. That means we're going to figure out how we should divide it before we dig in."

"Yeah," Seamus said accusingly, staring around the circle as he bit off a huge bite of bread. I sighed and had to fight the urge to laugh at least a little bit.

"Secondly," I continued, "as you can see there are hammocks. There should be enough for everyone. There is a bathroom." I pointed and everyone glanced in that direction before returning their gaze to me.

"A decent one thanks to me," Lavender added.

"We have a wireless," I continued, pointing to the wireless in the corner. "Someone's going to have to adjust that to the Pottermore station and being in charge of tuning us in every time there's a broadcast."

"I can do that," Nigel, a boy from Gryffindor volunteered.

"Okay, good," I answered, with a nod. "Are there any questions?"

Seamus instantly shot his hand into the air. "Yeah, you never answered my question from earlier. Where did you end up when you went through the painting?"

"It leads to the Hog's Head pub," I announced. "That's where we'll be getting our food from. I talked to Aberforth-,"

"Who?"

"The owner. He has no problem providing us with food. I also sent out another message to the people who graduated already telling them to ignore Seamus's last message because there's no way for them to get back here. There's a Caterwauling Charm on the entire village. It'll go off if anyone Apparates out in the street."

"Are we allowed to leave the room?" a Ravenclaw girl asked.

"You can," I said slowly, "but I wouldn't suggest leaving all that often. If you want to go to classes, then that's fine, but other than that there isn't much reason to leave. We have everything else we need right here."

"What are we hiding out in here for?" someone asked.

"We can't really pull any more stunts like we were pulling. The punishments are getting to be too much." I glanced over at Michael Corner, who was thankfully getting healthier and healthier every day.

"So what exactly are we going to be doing in here?" Padma Patil asked.

"Well, we're going to listen to Potterwatch first of all," I answered. "Secondly, we're going to need to somehow get in contact with your parents. I think it's school regulations to notify parents if their child goes missing-,"

"The Carrows won't do that," Hannah Abbott snorted.

"No, but maybe McGonagall will. I'm not really sure. Either way, I think it's a good idea to let your parents know that you're all safe."

"How are we going to do that?" Lavender asked. "All forms of communication are being watched."

I frowned and thought for a few seconds. "Seamus," I said.

"Yeah?"

"Send a message to Lee Jordan. Tell him to make a report on Potterwatch. If he needs names, send them to him."

"What if there are people who don't listen to Potterwatch?" Ernie Macmillan asked. "I mean, my parents do, but-,"

"_Everyone_ listens to Potterwatch, Ernie" Hannah told him with a roll of her eyes. "And anyway, even if they don't the news will spread."

I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes as I thought. "Okay, well, I think that's it for now."

"Can we eat now?" Seamus asked.

"Yeah," I answered. "But make sure you divide the food. This has to last a week!" I sighed and sat down next to Seamus. He started to pass me a plate full of food, but pulled it back a little right before I went to take it.

"If I give this to you, you aren't going to wonder out loud if Luna's eating enough where she is, are you? Because I still don't know the answer."

I grinned. "No, I won't ask."

"Why's that?" Seamus asked, passing me the food.

"She's all right," I replied, glancing up at him and grinning.

"What do you mean? How do you know?"

"She sent me a message using Dean's coin. He's okay as well. She didn't tell me where they were, but they're together and they're okay."

"You're just telling me this _now_?" Seamus yelped, looking thrilled at the news.

"I had other stuff to deal with first, like making sure the ravenous pack of _bears_ occupying the Room of Requirement didn't eat all the food."

"When're they coming back here?" Seamus asked.

"I don't know," I shrugged. "Luna didn't say."

"Did you send her a reply message?"

"No," I answered.

"_Why_?" Seamus asked in disbelief. "I'd have thought you would have been eager to talk to her."

"I am," I answered, "but she was using Dean's coin and I-,"

Seamus pulled out his own coin and started typing out a message.

"What are you-?"

"I'm sending a message to Dean telling him I just heard he was okay. I'm also telling him that if he ever manages to find a way to get back here to Apparate straight into the Hog's Head. The Caterwauling Charm won't affect anyone who Apparates straight into the bar. It's only people who go out into the street."

"I never thought of that," I said, looking at Seamus in awe.

"Good thing you have me to help you, then." Seamus answered. "I'm like you're wingman. Secondary to Ginny and Luna, though. They were your first wingmen. Or wingladies, rather."

"You're just as good as they are," I smiled. "I'm really glad you ended up coming around and joining the D.A. back in fifth year."

"Yeah, me too, or else I wouldn't have landed the role of wingman," Seamus joked.

I laughed and started eating my food. I wasn't sure if it had been my imagination or not, but I had been feeling that the Hogwarts food wasn't as good as it used to be. This, the fact that I had been in frequent detentions, and the fact that I was worried about Luna, the D.A. and multiple other things led me to not eat as well as I used to. I hadn't been sleeping well either between the restless nights worrying about everything and sneaking out to pull stunts for the D.A. Catching my reflection in the mirror across the room, I realized how truly awful I looked.

"You know," Seamus said, interrupting my thoughts, "I've always just assumed that Hog's Head food was to be avoided at all costs. The place was never made out to look all that welcoming and the food never seemed all that appetizing, but right now it's the most delicious food I've ever eaten."

"I have to agree with you," I said, watching Seamus type out another message on his coin. "Dean?" I guessed.

Seamus nodded. "He said he's going to tell Luna what I told him about Apparating straight into the bar."

I nodded before pausing. "Could you also tell him to tell her that I got her message and that I love her?"

Seamus nodded, but shot me a glance. "I'll do this now out of the goodness of my heart, but don't expect me to be your messenger from now until the next time you see Luna."

"Come on, I thought you were my wingman," I begged.

"Yeah, for D.A. matters," Seamus said. "Not matters of your love life. It's a constant reminder of my non-existent one."

"Just send the message to Dean," I persisted.

"Okay, okay, it's done."

"Good. Thank you, wingman."

Seamus punched me in the arm. I laughed and helped myself to some pudding, wishing Luna was here to eat it with me.


	30. Chapter 30

_"It was like being with a friend."_ **-Luna Lovegood**

* * *

><p>"It's beautiful here," I said, running my fingers through the wind chimes hanging in the kitchen doorway.<p>

"It used to be my great aunt Muriel's," Bill said, helping Fleur cut up vegetables for dinner. "She gave it to us after we got married. It was our wedding gift. And now we use it as a safe house. I'm Secret Keeper. She's letting the rest of my family stay with her right now, too. Dad's secret keeper there."

"Have you heard from Ginny?" I asked.

"Not really except for the few occasions I go over there for Order business. It's not really safe for anyone to be out and about lately."

"Have you gotten any news about Hogwarts or my father? Since December, I mean."

"Er," Ron said coming up behind me with Harry, who had finally come inside. "We saw your father, what was it, a couple of months ago?" He glanced at Harry who shrugged.

"Oh, you did?" I asked, smiling. "How's he doing?"

"Well, he was quite distraught about you being missing, that's for sure," Ron sighed. "We went there to ask him about something."

"Hold on a minute," I said, suddenly remembering the whole reason I had been taken off the train in the first place and then what Scabior had said while I was in the cellar. "Did he try to turn you in, Harry?" When Harry and Ron shared a look, I plowed on. "I know why I was taken off the train. They didn't like how he was supporting you in the Quibbler. I thought about it nearly the whole time I was locked up. I didn't know if he'd print a wanted ad or try to turn you in."

"He was doing both," Harry said quietly. "There were wanted ads all over the floor and then he ended up calling the Death Eaters."

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry," I whispered. "I hope you aren't angry. I know my father really does support you and he-,"

"No, I get it. He was desperate."

I didn't say anything for a minute. "So, what ended up happening? I'm guessing the Death Eaters didn't catch you because I was never set free and then you were brought in by Snatchers."

"We escaped, thanks to Hermione," Ron said, smiling slightly. "She's a genius, she is."

"Oh, it was nothing, Ronald," scoffed a voice from behind us. We all turned to see Hermione standing in the doorway, looking pale, but okay.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron exclaimed happily.

"How are you?" I asked.

"All right," she said briskly. "Just a little shaky. How did you get here, Luna?"

"She was locked up in Malfoy Manor as well," Ron said. "With Mr. Ollivander. Dobby came to rescue us and that's how we got here."

"Dobby?" Hermione asked. "Really?"

"Yeah, you were kind of unconscious for all of it," Ron said. "You're actually lucky, really." He looked at me and Harry.

"How bad was it?" Hermione asked.

"Well," Ron began.

"Dobby's dead," Harry finished bluntly.

Hermione gasped and her hands flew to her mouth. "Oh, no."

"Now, before you go all S.P.E.W. on us," Ron said hastily, "I'd like you to keep in mind that he saved our lives."

"I know and that's exactly it," Hermione said, looking on the verge of tears. "If it wasn't for us, he might've been alive. Hold on." She looked at Ron. "You said S.P.E.W."

"Yeah, that's what it's called isn't it?" Ron asked, looking confused.

"Yes, it is!" Hermione said with a grin. "S.P.E.W. Not _spew_."

"Oh. Right, yeah, I just—I—well, It doesn't mean I don't think it's any less silly," Ron spluttered.

There was a silence where everyone was staring at Ron, whose ears were turning a slight shade of pink, and Hermione, who was smiling at him proudly. I turned back to the wind chimes. "Muggles think these keep evil away," I said, "but they're wrong."

"Are they?" Bill asked vaguely.

I nodded and opened my mouth to explain, but Harry interrupted. "I need to talk to Ollivander and Griphook."

"But 'Arry," Fleur said, "they're both very weak. Zey need to recover."

"I know, but it'll only take a little while. It's important."

Bill and Fleur looked at each other. "Okay," Fleur finally said. "Who would you like to talk to first?"

Harry debated for a second. "Griphook."

Fleur nodded. "Okay, follow me." She headed up the stairs. Harry gestured for Hermione and Ron to go first before he took up the rear. Halfway up the stairs, he turned and looked at me.

"Oh, and Luna?"

"Yes?" I asked.

"What you've done with your bedroom…well, it's…" he trailed off as he thought of the right words, but finally he gave me a small smile. "It's really beautiful."

I actually blushed. "You don't think it's odd?"

"No, not at all," he answered before hurrying up the stairs.

Smiling, I turned back to Bill. "Do you need any help?" I pointed at the vegetables Fleur had been cutting up before she had left the room.

"Sure," Bill answered, passing me the knife. I took it and started chopping. "So, what have you done with your bedroom that's so beautiful?" Bill asked after a few seconds.

I smiled again. "I've always liked to paint," I explained, "and I'm always repainting my room, but recently I've noticed that the ceiling has always stayed the exact same color for the entire time I've lived in my house. It was just a plain old white and I thought, 'That ceiling is begging for some color', so I painted it last summer right before I went back to school."

"What color?"

"It's not just one color," I said. "I painted portraits. Five of them. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione, and Neville. They're my five closest friends at Hogwarts. I bordered and connected them with the word 'friends' painted over and over. Except for around Neville's portrait, I bordered it with hearts."

"Boyfriend?" Bill guessed.

I nodded. "He hasn't seen it yet. The ceiling, I mean. I didn't know anyone except my father had seen it until Harry just said something."

"How long did it take you?"

"I'm not quite sure," I answered honestly. "Maybe about a week."

"I'm sure it's very nice," Bill said.

I smiled. "So," I said seriously, "do you have any idea how my father's doing right now?"

Bill didn't say anything right away. "I think he's on the run. After Harry escaped, the Death Eaters obviously weren't too happy about it. I heard that in all the commotion, he managed to leave."

"Well, at least he's alive," I said, cutting up a carrot.

"Luna, it's okay to feel upset sometimes, you know," Bill said gently.

"I know that," I replied. "And I do feel upset sometimes. I'm just like any other human being. I just try to make myself feel better by looking on the bright side of things. Is that bad?"

"No," Bill said after a moment, "it's not."

Fleur came back downstairs just as Dean walked out of his bedroom. "Sleep well?" Fleur asked pleasantly.

He nodded and held up his coin, looking at me. "This woke me up. It's another message from Seamus. He said that if we ever make it back to school, Apparate straight into the Hog's Head pub and ask for Aberforth. He'll show us the way back into the school."

"Well, I don't think either of you should be heading back to school just yet," Fleur said. "You just got here."

"Oh, I agree," I answered with a nod as I scooped the cut up carrots into a bowl. "As much as I want to see Neville again, I think it'd be best if we stayed here for a little while."

"Oh," Dean said as if just remembering something. "Seamus also said Neville wanted me to tell you he loves you."

I blushed for the second time that day as everyone looked at me. "How nice," I said.

"Should I send him an answer?" Dean asked with a smile.

I nodded. "Tell Seamus to tell Neville I love him and to stay safe."

Dean nodded and began sending the message, absentmindedly heading into the living room.

I looked around at Bill and Fleur, who were smiling at me. I looked down at the counter and started chopping up another carrot.

"I can finish up here," Fleur said. "Why don't you go rest?"

I nodded and headed for my room. I wished that I hadn't put my coin in my trunk. If I hadn't, I would have had it with me and could talk to Neville on my own whenever I wanted. It was nice being able to talk to him through Dean, but it wasn't the same. And even still, I wanted to hear his voice and be able to wrap my arms around him. I wanted to watch as he crinkled his nose and stuck his tongue between his teeth whenever he concentrated. I wanted to hear him laugh again.

Sighing, I sat down on my bed. Missing Neville hadn't seemed so bad down in the cellar. At first it had, of course, but as they days went on, it became bearable. Maybe it was because while I had convinced myself that I would see him again, I didn't know _when_. Now that I was here, I knew I could see him again. I could go back to Hogwarts right now if I wanted, but like I had said earlier, I thought it would be best to stay here and rest for a while.

Looking out my window, I remembered that I had wanted to go back to Dobby's grave to see what Harry had written on the stone. I realized that if I went out the front door, I'd have to pass the kitchen and Fleur would only tell me that I needed to rest and I would have plenty of other opportunities to visit Dobby. That left me with only one option: the window. The only problem with that was that I was on the second floor.

Tiptoeing down the hallway, I found a door that I knew to be a closet simply because I'd seen Fleur go in there to get an extra blanket for Mr. Ollivander. Opening it, I looked around before selecting a few sheets, darting back to my room and tying them in a rope. It was an old Muggle trick. I wasn't sure where I had learned it from, but I had never used it until now. As I was attaching one end of the rope securely to the bedpost, I couldn't help but worry that I would somehow ruin the sheets. I was planning on washing them later, but hopefully I wouldn't do any irreversible damage.

Holding my breath, I climbed out of the window and shimmied down the rope to the ground. I made it safely and without ruining any of the sheets. Smiling, I ran towards Dobby's grave. It was still drizzling slightly, but I didn't mind. In fact, I hardly noticed as I made my way to the top of the dune where Dobby was buried. I knelt down and my eyes scanned the stone that had been placed there by Harry: _Here lies Dobby, a free elf._

It was then that I burst into tears.

"Luna?"

I turned around to see Dean coming towards me. I hastily wiped my eyes, hoping that he wouldn't know I had been crying. "Hello, Dean."

"You're crying," he said, looking shocked.

"No, I'm not. Not anymore." I said quietly. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"I just—I don't know—it's odd seeing you cry."

"I do have properly working tear ducts," I said with a sniffle.

Dean cracked a small smile. "Yeah, but it's like," he took a deep breath. "It's like if Luna Lovegood's crying, then we know there's something wrong. You always seem so happy."

"I know," I said with a tiny laugh. "And I am, usually. And I do try to look at the bright side, but sometimes it's hard to do that."

"Were you close to Dobby?" Dean asked, sitting down next to me.

"Yes," I answered, "kind of. He used to give me food when I went to feed the thestrals. He was always so kind to me. And he saved my life. Your life, too."

Dean nodded. "It was awfully brave of him."

I nodded. "Yes, it was. He was a brave little elf."

"A brave, _free_ elf," Dean corrected, pointing to the stone. He paused. "Have you ever heard of the saying 'don't cry because it's over; smile because it happened'?"

"Of course," I answered. "My mum loved that saying."

Dean nodded. "I think that's what we need to do, then, don't you? We just have to remember all of the good times we had with Dobby. Which were him rescuing us from a cellar and you going to him for thestral food."

I actually giggled. "Good times," I sighed.

"If you ever need to talk," Dean shrugged, "you can talk to me. I know I'm not Neville, but-,"

"You'll do," I teased, standing up. I held out my hands to help Dean up and he took them.

"Flattered," he snorted.

"Thank you, Dean," I said, as we walked back to Shell Cottage.

"Any time," he answered with a grin.

"Perhaps when I get back home, I can make you a butterbeer cork necklace like the one I have," I told him.

"I don't really wear necklaces," Dean said.

"No, I suppose you wouldn't," I said, tapping my chin in thought. "Well, I'll send you some Dirigible Plums and some Gurdyroot infusion. As thanks for being such a good friend."

"What exactly are those things?" Dean asked.

I smiled at him, happy to be able to explain. Maybe while I was at it, I could tell him all about the Crumple Horned Snorkack.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review! Next chapter should be Neville and Luna's reunion! Hopefully it can be another quick update like this one was! :D**


	31. Chapter 31

_"I'm just killing time till you're by my side. Too many places get in the way of bringing you back into view." _

**-Kris Allen (My Weakness)**

* * *

><p>"Yes, and they have little ears, like a hippo, Daddy says, only purple and furry," I told Dean. It was a few weeks into April now and I was helping Dean bring in some driftwood for a fire later on. Fleur was making dinner while Harry, Hermione and Ron set the table. "And if you want to call them, you have to hum. They prefer a waltz. Nothing too fast."<p>

"Ah," Dean said, placing his pile of driftwood by the fireplace. I did the same and then followed him into the dining room.

"And if you ever come to our house I'll be able to show you the horn. Daddy wrote to me about it but I haven't seen it yet, because the Death Eaters took me off the Hogwarts Express and I never got home for Christmas."

"Luna," Hermione said, "I told you already that the horn exploded. It came from an Erumpent, not a Crumple-Horned Snorkack."

"No, it was definitely a Snorkack horn," I insisted serenely. "Daddy told me. It will probably have re-formed by now. They mend themselves, you know."

Hermione didn't get a chance to say anything because Bill appeared at the bottom of the stairs, leading Mr. Ollivander. The wand maker was leaving today and I found myself feeling somewhat sad. I had spent so much time with him that it seemed strange to see him go.

"I'm going to miss you," I told him, gently hugging him goodbye.

"And I you, my dear," he said, patting my back. "You were such a comfort to me in that cellar. I'll never forget it, or you."

I smiled. "Don't forget that if you get bored at Muriel's, you can always count the number of floorboards in your bedroom."

"Of course," Ollivander said with a smile. "And I'll send you your new wand as soon as possible. I didn't forget my promise to make you one."

"Thank you so much," I answered with a grin.

"Goodbye, Mr. Ollivander," Fleur said, leaning forward and kissing both of his cheeks. "I was wondering if you could deliver a package to Bill's Auntie Muriel when you get there. I never returned zee tiara she lent me for zee wedding." She held out a small case and Ollivander took it.

"It will be my pleasure," he said, "and the very least I can do after such generous hospitality."

We all waved goodbye as Bill led Mr. Ollivander out into the windy night and disappeared.

"Come on, let's eat," Fleur said with a sigh, glancing out the window. I knew she wouldn't relax until Bill made it home safely.

We squeezed in around the table and within fifteen minutes, Bill had returned. "Everything's fine," he told Fleur as he took his seat at the table. "Ollivander's settled in, Mum and Dad say hello. Ginny sends you all her love. Fred and George are driving Muriel up the wall. They're still operating an Owl-Order business out of her back room. It cheered her up to have her tiara back, though. She said she thought we'd stolen it."

"Ah," Fleur said curtly, standing up and waving her wand, causing the dirty dishes to rise and form a stack in midair. Catching them, she headed into the kitchen, using her back to push open the door.

"Daddy's made a tiara," I piped up to fill the silence. "He's trying to re-create the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. He thinks he's identified most of the main elements now. Adding the billywig wings really made a difference."

Suddenly, there came a loud series of knocks on the door. Bill jumped up and pointed his wand in that direction. Fleur came running out of the kitchen, her eyes wide.

I leaned back slightly so that I could see out of the window behind me. "Oh, look, it's just Professor Lupin," I said with a smile.

"Is he all right?" Fleur asked.

"He looks it to me," I answered

Bill glanced at Fleur, then at me. "We don't know for sure, though," he answered. "Who is it?" he called towards the door,

"It is I, Remus John Lupin! I am a werewolf, married to Nymphadora Tonks, and you, the Secret-Keeper of Shell Cottage, told me the address and invited me to come in an emergency!"

Bill gave a small nod, lowered his wand, and flung open the door. Lupin toppled inside, looking pale, but grinning.

"It's a boy! We've named him Ted, after Dora's father!"

Fleur and Hermione let out shrieks of joy.

"What? Tonks had the baby?" Bill asked.

Lupin nodded. "Yes, yes, she's had the baby! Just a few hours ago! Seven pounds, seven ounces, twenty one inches long."

"Ah, what lucky numbers," I said happily as Lupin grinned. "Still, I'd buy a Nargle Net to protect the baby when he's sleeping."

"Congratulations, Remus," Bill said.

Lupin looked across the room at Harry. "You'll be godfather?"

"Me?" asked Harry, dropping his fork.

"Yes, Dora and I both agree that there's nobody better."

"I—well—yes, of course!" Harry laughed.

"Excellent," Lupin grinned as Bill began pouring drinks. "I can't stay long. I have to get back. Thank you, Bill."

"Who does he look like?" Fleur asked.

"I think he looks like Dora, but she thinks he looks like me. Not much hair. It looked black when he was born, but I swear it's turned ginger in the hour since. Probably be blond by the time I get back. Andromeda says Tonks's hair started changing color the day that she was born." He finished his drink and set it on the table. "Now, I really must get back. I'll try to bring pictures in a few days. Tonks and her mother will both be so glad to know I've seen you all!"

"Godfather, Harry, wow!" Bill said after the door had shut behind my old professor.

"Yes, congratulations!" Fleur said.

"That's a real honor," Bill continued, grinning.

"Yes," I agreed. "Daddy says that…"

With that, nearly everyone stood up and began bringing their dishes to the kitchen in a great hurry. I didn't say anything. Instead, I simply shrugged before standing up to follow them.

* * *

><p>It was the last day of April when I finally headed back to Hogwarts with Dean. I had received my new wand from Ollivander a few days after he had left for Murial's. It was very beautiful and it suited me just as well as my old wand, if not better.<p>

I held the wand tightly in my hand as I stood by the front door of Shell Cottage. Bill and Fleur had given me and Dean each a small suitcase of things that we might need and followed us to the door to say goodbye. Hermione and Ron were there as well.

"Don't forget to come back and veesit," Fleur whispered when I hugged her.

"Of course," I told her. "I said I would, didn't I?"

"Bring Neville," she said. "It would be lovely to see him again. I haven't seen him seence zee wedding."

I nodded before hugging Bill. "Thank you for everything, Bill."

"It was nothing," he told me. "It was good to have you here. Don't give up on those Crumple-Horned Snorkacks, okay?" He grinned.

"I'm not planning on it," I assured him. I hugged Hermione and Ron goodbye and told them I'd see them both soon. "Where's Harry?" I finally asked.

"Out by Dobby's grave," Bill said, pointing out the window.

I turned to Dean. "I'll be back in a moment. I'm just going to say goodbye."

Dean nodded. "I'll wait for you out front."

When I reached Harry, he didn't look up, but I knew he must have seen me approach. "The sky has lost a star," I finally said, looking at the spot where Dobby was buried. "That's what my dad said when my mum died." Harry still didn't answer, so I filled the silence. "It's funny how Dobby knew exactly where to find us."

Finally, Harry looked at me and stood up. "Yeah, funny," he muttered. "Hogwarts?" he asked after a short pause, gesturing to my suitcase.

"Yes," I nodded.

"It's not the place you left, you know. It's not the same."

I looked at him for a moment, a small smile on my face. "Neither am I." With that, I walked away, back towards Dean. When I reached him, we both turned to look back at Harry.

"Is he okay?" Dean asked.

"Oh, yes, I think he'll be fine."

Dean nodded and held out his hand to me. "Come on."

I looked down at his outstretched hand before taking it. As soon as I did, he Apparated us into the Hog's Head.

* * *

><p>"Hey, Neville, can you come help me with this?" Michael Corner asked as I passed by.<p>

"Sure, Michael, what's up?" I asked as I sat down beside him and leaned against the wall.

"My Herbology homework," he said. "I just can't seem to understand it."

"Homework?" I asked, blinking. It almost seemed like a foreign topic to me.

"Yeah, you did say we could go to classes," Michael said. He looked at me. "I've actually only been going to Herbology, though. At first, it was almost torture to skip all of my classes, but in the end, I ended up deciding to go to Herbology and only Herbology."

"Why?" I asked.

"Because it's my worst class. I want to try and get my grade to go up."

"Of course you do," I said, smiling.

"True Ravenclaw, I guess," Michael said with a grin.

I smiled back, but somewhat sadly this time as I thought of Luna. It had been a month since I found out she was okay and while I occasionally was able to get messages to and from her by means of Dean and Seamus, it wasn't the same. I guess some communication was better than none, though.

"Okay," I finally said to Michael. "What do you need help with?"

He showed me his homework and I immediately began explaining it to him. I had done this stuff in class such a long time ago, but it came flooding back incredibly quickly.

"So the flowers that come from a puffapod _aren't_ poisonous?" Michael asked.

"No," I answered, "it's quite the opposite, really. They're actually known to have really good healing powers."

Michael sighed. "I don't know how you keep all of it straight. I just find it all so hard to remember. And even if I don't get to take my exams this year, I'm going to want to come back to school to catch up on all that I've missed."

I didn't answer for a moment, but then I was struck with a sudden idea. "Have you ever thought of color coding?"

"What?" Michael asked.

"You get different colored paper for every subject you want to study for. Then, you write out a question on one side of a piece of paper with the answers on the back. After that, you tape them on things you typically use every day, such as your pillow or the bathroom mirror. You try to answer the question and you can't use the item you taped it to until you get the question right. It's a really good study method. I've been using it for a few years now."

"Where did you learn that?" Michael asked. "It sounds like a very good idea."

"Luna," I answered. "She used it to help me prepare for my O.W.L. exams."

"Really?" Michael asked.

I nodded. "She's a smart girl."

"I never really doubted that," Michael answered. "I've been in her classes for years and she managed to beat me on nearly every single exam. It was quite a shock at first. I mean, she spent a lot of class time either drawing or looking out the window and then on exams or homework, she got nearly full marks every single time."

I laughed. "That's Luna for you."

Michael paused. "You really like her, don't you?"

I nodded and began fiddling with my shirt sleeve. "Of course. Don't you?" I was almost a little afraid to hear the answer.

"She's never given me a reason to dislike her," Michael said. "I've never actually had a real conversation with her. I just think a lot of people figure she's difficult to relate to and they don't know what to say when she's rambling on about things people don't believe exist."

"That's not all she talks about," I said. "And she's not all that hard to relate to. She's really a lot like everyone else. She just thinks a little differently."

Michael didn't answer right away. "Do you believe her? You know, when she talks about Nargles and all of those other things she believes in?"

I didn't answer right away. "I'm not sure," I said. "I like hearing about them and I don't mind that she talks about them, but I don't know if I'll ever fully believe until I see one. And who knows? Maybe Nargles do exist. I'm not against keeping an open mind."

Michael smirked. "Maybe she's been right all along and one day she'll prove everyone else wrong."

I smiled. "I wouldn't be surprised."

Michael smiled back before turning back to his homework. "Okay, so can you explain to me what exactly a venomous tentacula does besides sit around looking scary?"

I nodded and started to help him again. Ten minutes later, I heard a loud cheer from Seamus that I ignored. He had been playing an intense game of wizard's chess earlier, a game he never won, so I just assumed that he had won or made a good move. That is, until he yelled over to me. "Hey, Neville!"

I looked up in the direction of his voice and saw him standing by the portrait that led to the Hog's Head. My eyes then snapped to Dean, who was right beside Seamus. Dean was back! And if Dean was back, that meant…

"Hello, Neville." Luna waved cheerily at me from where she stood next to Dean. She had a small suitcase in her hand and she looked tinier than the last time I had seen her. Her hair was longer than ever and she had a bruise on her cheek, but she looked so incredibly beautiful all the same. I could have sworn I stopped breathing the moment I saw her. After she waved, all I could do was stare at her, wide-eyed.

"I think the Nargles have got him," Seamus said, smirking.

"Wrackspurts," Luna corrected in a whisper. Seamus shrugged.

Michael's Herbology textbook fell from my hands and hit the floor as I jumped up and ran towards Luna. I moved so fast it was like the Carrows were chasing me again. In a matter of seconds, I had reached Luna, grabbed her in my arms and spun her around. She let out a giggle in my ear before I set her down again.

"Luna!" I exclaimed happily, giving her another hug.

"Hello," she said happily. She frowned slightly as we broke apart. "You look awful."

I actually let out a laugh. "What a greeting."

"It's the truth." She reached up and lightly touched my cheek. I winced as her fingers brushed over a nasty cut. "It's even worse than before I left."

"Well, after you left, he got crazy," Seamus said. "I mean, he'd been pretty rebellious all year, but after you left he really put his foot down. He was taking detentions for the rest of us and sneaking out to write on the walls every chance he got. It was sort of awesome."

"Sounds like I missed quite a bit, then," Luna said with a smile.

I shrugged. "I can fill you in later. What's more important right now is what happened to you." I cupped her face in my hands and started examining her face. I frowned as my eyes fell on the bruise just under her eye. "Where did this bruise come from?" I gently rubbed my thumb over it.

"I'm not sure," she said, thinking about it. "I must have got it when I was in the cellar, but I'm not entirely sure how…"

"Cellar? What cellar?" I asked.

"Malfoy Manor," Dean piped up.

"You were at the Malfoy's?" Seamus asked incredulously.

"Yes, and it wasn't very pleasant," Luna said. "I arrived in December and when I got there, Mr. Ollivander had already been there for quite some time."

"The wand maker?" I asked. When Luna nodded, I smiled. "He's alive, then?"

She nodded. "Oh, yes, he's alive. When I got there he was weak and he was only getting worse. Then, at the end of March, Dean showed up with Harry, Ron and Hermione-,"

"_What_?" Seamus and I yelped at the same time.

"Yes, what, did you think they were dead?"

"No," I answered, "but we didn't have any information on them at all. We've been listening to Potterwatch nonstop."

"Potterwatch?" Dean asked.

"A radio station Lee Jordan's running with Fred and George. They report everything that all the other stations aren't. We heard about you when you went missing."

"Really?" Dean asked. "Yeah the Snatchers caught me and dragged me around with them for a while until they caught Harry and brought us all to Malfoy Manor."

"So, where are they now? Harry, Ron and Hermione, I mean. Are they all okay?"

"They're at Shell Cottage," Luna answered. "It's Bill and Fleur's house. I don't know how it happened, exactly, or how he knew where we were, but while we were in the cellar, Dobby arrived and took me, Dean and Mr. Ollivander to Shell Cottage. Then, he went back to get Harry, and Ron who were rescuing Hermione because Bellatrix Lestrange was torturing her."

I felt myself grow pale. "Is Hermione all right?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, she's fine. Bellatrix used the Cruciatus curse on her and carved the word 'mudblood' into her arm and it hasn't gone away yet. Bill couldn't heal it. He thinks the knife was charmed or something along those lines."

I felt sick. That was definitely a new kind of torture. It was similar to Umbridge's quill, but much, much worse. "Will it ever go away?" I asked.

Luna shrugged. "I expect it will eventually."

"So, what happened after Dobby rescued you?"

"We just stayed at Bill and Fleur's to rest. Mr. Ollivander was moved to the Weasley's Aunt Murial's. Her house has more room."

"And they never tortured you while you were at Malfoy Manor?" I asked.

"No, not once, thankfully," Luna answered. "Ollivander said he was tortured a few times, but he wasn't tortured while I was there. I don't think they really had any use for me other than to try and force my dad to behave."

"Oh," I said, satisfied. So they hadn't done anything to her after all. Keeping her locked in a cellar was far from okay, but at least they hadn't tortured her. And she was with me now, which was really all that mattered. She was back where she should be, she was safe, and I couldn't have felt happier at that moment.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: They're together again! Thanks so much for reading and don't forget to leave a review!**


	32. Chapter 32

_"To me, fearless is not the absence of fear. It's not being completely unafraid. To me, fearless is having fears. Fearless is having doubts. Lots of them. To me, Fearless is living in spite of those things that scare you to death."_ **-Taylor Swift**

* * *

><p>Even though Luna had told me what had happened to her since she left, I still felt as if I needed more details. "So, how is Dobby, anyway?" I asked. "I haven't been down the kitchens, but if I had gone it would have been weird not seeing him there."<p>

"He was doing very well," Luna said hesitantly, glancing at Dean. "That is, until he died."

"What?" I asked, looking at Seamus, who looked somewhat sad, but nowhere near as shocked and upset as I felt.

"Yes," Luna said sadly. "As he was leaving Malfoy Manor with Harry, Ron and Hermione, Bellatrix threw her knife at them and it hit Dobby." She had gone completely pale.

"Luna was pretty upset over it," Dean said. "She did okay at first, but then I found her out by his grave, crying."

Luna blushed. "I didn't mean for you to see me. I don't like when people see me cry."

Dean smiled sympathetically and looked at me. "I sat with her and tried to comfort her as best I could. I figured it wouldn't be the same as having you there, but she said I'd do."

Luna smiled. "I was glad to have you there, Dean."

"Yeah, thanks," I said quietly, "for looking out for her."

Dean smiled. "Seamus and I will leave you two alone now. I think we've all got a lot to catch up on."

I nodded and watched them leave before turning to Luna, who was staring around the room. "Are you sure you're all right?"

"Quite sure," she answered, looking at me.

I wasn't sure if I believed her. I wanted to, but I was having trouble processing that she had been kept in the cellar of a house full of Death Eaters and hadn't received any serious injuries. "Are you hungry?"

"Yes, actually," she said. "At Bill and Fleur's I ate perfectly fine, but while I was in that cellar, they didn't give us much. I feel like I still need to make up for all of that."

"Yeah, it looks it," I said. "You look so _small_."

Luna giggled. "Well, then, you won't mind if I eat like Ron does on a daily basis?"

"Not at all," I said, laughing.

"I hope there's pudding," she said absentmindedly.

"Oh, there is," I assured her.

"Good," she replied as I led her over to where we kept the food. "So we're in the Room of Requirement?" She continued to scan the room.

"Yeah, I asked it for a place to hide where the Carrows couldn't get in and this is what it gave me. There was only one hammock at first and a tiny bathroom, but as more people showed up, more hammocks appeared and the bathroom changed after Lavender complained about the original one."

"How nice," Luna said, sitting down cross legged on the floor. I sat across from her and watched as she took in the food we had.

"We might be running a little low. We're due to get more in a few days, though. Aberforth provides us with food once a week and we've been pretty good with making it last. It's usually plenty, though, so we don't feel deprived. Take whatever you'd like."

After Luna had gotten her food, she looked at me. "Don't you want any?"

I shook my head and continued to watch her.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked. "Have the Wrakspurts got you again?"

I smiled and shook my head again. "I just haven't seen you in so long…"

"Ah, you forgot what I looked like," she nodded.

"No, not quite," I laughed. There was a pause. "I just really missed you is all. I don't even know if I can explain how much I missed you."

"I don't think you need to," she said, "because I think I know."

"You do?" I asked.

"Yes, because I missed you too." She looked up at me and smiled.

I grinned and there was another moment of silence. "Oh," I said finally, "I have this." I reached up, slid her D.A. coin over my head and handed it to her.

Her face lit up as she took it and put it back around her neck where it belonged. "I was so upset when I realized I didn't have it. I could have sent you a message a lot sooner. Oh, and you even fixed the ribbon! It was fraying, that's why I took it off."

"Yeah, I figured," I answered. "I kept it safe, though."

"You wore it?" she asked.

I nodded. "Right next to mine."

"So it's like we were together. In some way, at least," she said.

"I never thought of it that way, but yeah. I took your trunk off the train, too, and brought it to your dad that same day."

"Oh, you did?" she asked. "Good, at least I know it's safe." Her expression grew sad all of a sudden.

"Hey," I whispered. "What's wrong?"

"My dad's on the run," she whispered.

"Yeah, we heard on Potterwatch, actually. They said the Death Eaters came after him because he claimed Harry was at his house. He was probably trying anything to get you back."

"Only Harry was at my house," she answered.

"He was?" I asked, shocked.

She nodded. "I felt terrible that he tried to turn Harry in."

"He was desperate," I told her.

"That's what Harry said, too."

"You're his daughter," I whispered. "Honestly, I'm surprised he didn't publish those wanted ads sooner. He was really dragging his feet and resorting to just begging the Death Eaters to let you go. I think he was really torn about what to do."

"How was he when you went there?"

"A mess, to be honest," I answered. "I think he was worse than I was. Does he know you're safe?"

"No, there wasn't any way to get in contact with him."

I thought for a few seconds. "Do you know if he brought a radio with him by any chance?"

She shrugged. "I'm not sure. Hermione said that when he called the Death Eaters, she had to escape with Harry and Ron and part of the house was destroyed. He probably left straight away, too, since the Death Eaters were on their way or already there."

"So, you think he has nothing with him?"

She nodded. "That scares me."

I nodded. "I was hoping he'd have some supplies and a radio. That way we could send a message to Lee to report on Potterwatch that you're safe."

Luna took a deep breath and set her empty plate aside. She brought her knees to her chest, folded her arms over them and rested her chin on her arms. "So, tell me about what I've missed."

"Well, Ginny's been gone since Easter," I began.

"Yes, when I went to Shell Cottage, Bill told me the rest of his family was at their Auntie Muriel's. When Harry was caught, Ron was obviously caught with them when he was thought to be sick with spattergroit. It put the whole family in danger so they had to go into hiding."

"Oh, so that's what happened," I said. "Ginny said she wasn't sure if she could tell me so to be on the safe side she didn't give any information besides the fact that she was going into hiding and not coming back to school."

Luna nodded. "Yes, from what I've heard, she's okay, though."

"Good," I answered. "Up until a few weeks before Ginny left, we were doing the same stuff we always did, but then Michael Corner went and released a first year chained in the dungeons and the Carrows caught him red handed so they tortured him terribly. That's when we decided to lay low until we could think of some underground stuff to do. But then one night I snuck out to write on the walls one more time and the Carrows caught me and went for Gran."

"Oh, Neville," Luna said, reaching out and taking my hand.

"She's fine," I told her, "but she's on the run, just like your dad."

Luna smiled. "Maybe they'll run into each other."

"Maybe," I said, smiling back. "She wrote me a letter saying that she was proud of me."

"Of course she is," Luna said. "Why wouldn't she be?"

I shrugged. "Anyway, the Carrows decided to chain me up in the dungeons for the night. Seamus came in the morning and broke me out and that's when I knew I had to run. If they couldn't get Gran, there was no way to control me unless they killed me or sent me to Azkaban, so then Seamus and I came up with hiding out here. I could hide and we'd use it for a D.A. meeting place."

"So, what have you been doing?" Luna asked.

"Listening to Potterwatch and kind of working together with them to get messages out there. We notified everyone's parents that way to let them know their kids were safe. Occasionally one of us will sneak out to do more graffiti just so everyone knows we're still around, but we don't do it often. We don't want to get caught in the act, but the Carrows can't get in this room so as long as they don't catch us doing it, we're okay."

Luna bit her lip and looked at me. "They were really hurting you, weren't they?"

"It's not that bad," I said, waving my hand.

Luna stared at me. "Neville."

I looked down and didn't answer right away. She knew I was lying. "It was almost sort of manageable until the night they caught me writing on the wall…the same night they took Gran. That was the worst it's ever been. They Crucioed me so badly, I really thought I was going to die or end up just like my parents. I thought the time Bellatrix tortured me two years ago was bad, but this was so much worse."

"But you're still here and you look pretty sane to me," Luna said. "That really says something."

"Yeah? What?"

"It shows how strong you are."

"Everyone's been saying I changed," I said.

"Yeah?" Luna tilted her head to one side and looked at me, waiting for me to go on.

"They say everything I've been doing—running the D.A., writing on the walls, disobeying the Carrows—are all things I never would have done years ago. They said I've gotten a lot braver and learned to stand up for myself."

Luna studied my face for a moment. "I disagree," she said.

"What?" I asked.

"I don't think you've _changed_."

"But Luna, they're right."

"Not necessarily," she answered. "I think you were always this way and you just never knew it. You were always brave. The only thing you weren't brave enough to do was have confidence in yourself. Now you do. You conquered your last fear. Remember on the day we first talked and I told you that you must have been placed in Gryffindor for a reason? Well, here it is."

"But I still don't think I'm all that brave," I argued. "I still get scared. I get scared every day."

"So does everyone else," Luna told me. "You wouldn't be normal if you weren't scared of something. Gryffindors are known for being brave not for having no fears."

"Yes, they are," I argued. "Besides, brave and fearless are kind of the same thing."

"No," she argued back. "Look at Ron. He's afraid of spiders. Didn't you learn about boggarts in your third year?"

"Yeah, I told you about that. Mine was Professor Snape and he hated me even more ever since he found out."

"All right, well, everyone in your class had one, didn't they?"

I nodded. "Yeah, they did."

"There you go," she said, smiling. "And besides, I don't think being brave or fearless means not being afraid of anything. I think it means being afraid of lots of things but going about life anyway in spite of those fears."

"Yeah?" I asked.

She nodded. "You've always been afraid of Professor Snape, haven't you?"

"Yes," I answered.

"But you've gone to his classes year after year and tried your hardest. You didn't run away."

"I couldn't run away. I had to take Potions. It was required."

"My point is," Luna said with a giggle, "that you haven't really changed. You're just realizing what you're actually capable of. Everyone else sees it as a change because they never saw this side of you before."

"But you did," I replied, my eyebrows raised in amusement."

"Of course I did. I knew it from the very first day I met you."

I laughed before reaching out and grabbing her arm, pulling her close to me. She leaned her head on my shoulder and I wrapped my arms around her, gently kissing her cheek and moving her hair off her face as she fell off to sleep.

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><p><strong>AN: Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review! :)**


	33. Chapter 33

"_Try to leave a light on when I'm gone, something to rely on to get home." _

**–David Cook (Light On)**

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><p>"Everyone be quiet, it's about to start!" Neville yelled, waving his hand. He was standing at the wireless, turning the dial to the correct station for Potterwatch. I stood beside him, looking out at the room. Everyone was crowded in a semi-circle around the wireless, waiting anxiously to listen to Potterwatch.<p>

This was going to be the first broadcast that I heard and I was incredibly excited. I had heard it was very good and informative. I had also heard that Lee, Fred and George, the regular members, were exceptionally good at making the news funny. All except for the deaths and disappearances, of course. Some things just couldn't be joked about.

Finally, the show started and Lee's voice echoed throughout the room. Neville sat down and excitedly pulled me into his lap.

"Hello, welcome to Potterwatch. This is River speaking and we have important breaking news tonight on Harry Potter," Lee began. A hushed and eerie silence fell over the room. What could Harry have gotten into now? He had been at Shell Cottage just yesterday when I left. Of course, I had noticed him talking to Griphook quite a bit. I had a feeling they were planning something, but I had hoped they weren't. It looked as if they had been planning something, though and we were about to find out what.

"It has been reported that Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley broke into Gringotts around mid-morning and stole an item from the vault of Bellatrix Lestrange. It has also been reported that they managed to escape on a dragon. Their exact whereabouts now are unknown, but Harry Potter is alive, folks, and still out doing whatever it is he's doing. If he hasn't given up than neither should we."

"And as for You-Know-Who," another voice, Fred's, I think, continued, "there hasn't been anything new reported on him, but just because he seems to be staying out of the limelight doesn't mean that he isn't planning anything evil. Remember to stay cautious and stay safe."

"As our dear friend Alastor Moody used to say," George chimed in, "constant vigilance."

"That's all for tonight, folks. Until next time, of course. Stay safe."

Silence filled the room after Lee finished speaking. Neville reached up and turned the wireless off. Nobody spoke for what seemed like forever. Finally, I decided to say something. "Well, that was good news."

"Good news?" Ernie Macmillan asked. "They're most likely going to be in loads of trouble. They could go to prison for that."

"Yeah, but Ernie," Neville said, "they escaped."

"On a _dragon_," Seamus added.

"Surely people are looking for them," Ernie said.

Neville shrugged. "Most people would die if they tried to break into Gringott's. There are loads of protective spells and curses. Harry's lucky to be alive."

"Yeah, well, he is the Boy Who Lived after all," Seamus snorted.

"So what now?" Dean asked.

"What do you mean?" Neville raised his eyebrows.

"What do we do?"

"We can't really do anything," Neville answered, sighing. He looked up at the wireless and fell silent.

"Do you think whatever Harry's doing will bring him back to Hogwarts?" Lavender asked.

Neville turned to look at her. "I have this feeling that he'll end up back here. I don't know. Maybe it's just me really hoping he'll come back, but I think he will."

"I think so, too," I said, squeezing his hand. He looked down at me and smiled.

"You do?" he asked.

I nodded. "Harry's always really felt at home here."

"But isn't it dangerous?" Dean asked. "He can't just come back into Hogwarts or even Hogsmeade."

"He can Apparate into the Hog's Head like we did," I told him. "Seamus sent out a message to everyone in the D.A., so if he has his coin, or if Ron and Hermione do, then they'll have gotten the message."

"True," Dean said, "but I doubt they have their coins. I mean, they've been on the run and everything."

"Yeah, who knows? They might have them but not close to their body so they can feel it heat up. Not all of us wear the coins around our necks like Luna and Neville," Seamus added.

"Well, I think it's best to just leave them to do what they have to do," I shrugged. "I think we're holding down the fort just fine here."

"You think so?" Neville asked, brushing my hair off my forehead. "Sometimes I feel like I'm not doing enough."

"I thought you wanted to do this. Underground stuff. I thought you wanted to stay low. You're supposed to be hiding," Seamus reminded him.

"I know," Neville sighed, "but I guess I'm used to doing what I was doing earlier in the year. And even though we're doing something now, it doesn't feel like much."

"Every little bit matters," I chimed in.

"I guess it does," Neville said quietly.

* * *

><p>"Neville," Seamus called from across the room. It was later that night and everyone was just relaxing. Neville and Seamus had been planning on sneaking out later to write on the walls, but in the end Dean had offered to do it since Neville was supposed to be staying out of sight. Now we were just waiting for the right time.<p>

Neville looked up from the game of wizard's chess we were currently playing. "What?"

Without looking up from his Exploding Snap cards, Seamus pointed to the portrait hanging on the wall of the dirt road. The girl from the portrait at the Hog's Head was standing in it, looking around the room.

"Who is she?" I asked Neville curiously. "I've been wondering since I got here yesterday."

"Ariana, Dumbledore's sister," Neville answered, getting to his feet and helping me up. "And Aberforth is his brother."

"Yes, I figured that much out. Aberforth and Dumbledore have the same eyes." I pointed to the portrait. "She does too, but I wasn't quite sure who she was."

Neville crossed the room to the portrait with me right behind him. "Er, what do you need?" he asked. He turned to look at me. "Aberforth usually sends her when he has something to tell us and needs someone to come into the pub, but she doesn't really talk." He jerked his head towards the portrait.

"Yes, well, I think Aberforth needs someone again," I said.

"How do you know?" Neville asked.

"Well, you just said that's why he usually sends her," I reasoned, "and besides, I can just tell." I looked up and smiled at Ariana's portrait.

"Okay," Neville said. "Well, I'd better go, then. Do you want to come?"

"No, not this time. I think I'll just stay here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, quite sure," I told him with a smile.

"Okay then," Neville answered. He leaned down and kissed me before turning back towards the portrait. It swung open and he hopped into the opening. He turned back and glanced at me. "See you in a few minutes."

"Of course," I answered with a smile. I gave him a small smile and a wave, both of which he returned before turning and heading into the tunnel. The portrait swung shut behind him and I watched his figure, side by side with Ariana's, walking down the dirt road away from me. Once he had disappeared completely, I turned and looked around the room. Noticing Seamus and Dean still playing Exploding Snap, I decided to sit with them.

"Hey, Luna," Dean said, examining his cards intently.

"Hello, Dean," I answered as I sat down beside him.

"I wonder what Aberforth needs Neville for," Dean said.

"Food?" I asked.

Seamus shook his head. "Not until tomorrow."

I shrugged. "I guess we'll find out soon enough."

"Yeah," Seamus said, standing up, "because he's coming back."

"And he's not alone," Dean added, frowning.

I stood up and moved next to Seamus. Everyone else's attention seemed to have been drawn to the portrait as well. I could see Neville in the front, occasionally turning to talk to the people walking behind him. It seemed like everyone in the room was trying to figure out who they were.

Neville finally reached the front of the portrait and it swung open. I still couldn't see who was with him. They were standing behind him in the shadow of the tunnel.

"Neville, what's going on?" Seamus asked.

Neville didn't answer. Instead, he smirked and stepped out of the way, finally revealing who was behind him. I smiled when I saw Harry, Ron and Hermione, looking shocked at the number of people standing in the room.

"Harry!" Seamus yelled, breaking the silence. Every inhabitant of the room began yelling and cheering as Harry climbed down from the portrait, Ron, Hermione and Neville right behind him. As soon as their feet touched the ground, they were swarmed by people trying to hug them.

"Pretty great, huh?" Neville asked, coming to stand next to me and crossing his arms.

I nodded excitedly. "You knew he would come back."

"You did too, remember?" Neville asked with a laugh.

"Yes, but you were the one who said it first," I told him.

"Hey," Neville reached out and grabbed a Gryffindor boy's arm. "Get the word out to Remus and the other's that Harry's back. I'll deal with the old members of the D.A." They boy nodded and ran off while Neville began rapidly sending messages on his coin.

"You're calling everyone back?" I asked.

"Yeah, I'm telling them to Apparate directly into the Hog's Head and ask Aberforth to show them how to get back into the school. If Harry's back, he needs our help, right? Maybe we're going to be fighting."

"Neville, we can't know for sure. You know Harry. He could be in and out before we can even process he's here."

"Trust me, okay?" Neville whispered, brushing my cheek with his thumb.

"I always have," I said quietly.

Neville smiled and turned back towards Harry, who was still being bombarded by people. "Okay, okay," he said, shooing some people away, "let's not kill him before You-Know-Who gets a chance."

"So, what's been going on, Harry?" Seamus asked. "We heard on Potterwatch that you broke into Gringotts and escaped on a dragon."

"They did!" Neville said. "They told me on the way here."

"You're joking," Seamus said.

"No," Harry answered. "No joke."

"So, what brings you back here?" Neville asked.

Harry hesitated before opening his mouth to speak, but as soon as he did, the portrait on the wall opened and people started coming in. It was all the old members of the D.A. that had already graduated. Just then, I noticed Ginny coming in after Fred and George.

"Ginny!" Neville exclaimed.

"Hi, Neville," she said, hugging him before noticing me. "Luna!" She threw her arms around me. "I was so happy when I heard from Bill that you were okay."

I smiled. "Yes, I'm fine, thankfully."

"Neville," Harry said, "why did you ask them all to come back? This is insane!"

"We're fighting, aren't we?" Neville asked. "I thought that if you came back, it would mean we were fighting. Or at least that you would need all of us to help you with something."

Harry paused and glanced at Ron and Hermione, who both shrugged.

"It wouldn't hurt to tell them," Ron said quietly. "Maybe they'll actually be able to help."

"Okay," Harry finally said. He still sounded hesitant, though. "Well, there's something we need to find. Something hidden here in the castle. Something that'll help us destroy You-Know-Who."

"Okay," Neville said, "what is it?"

"We don't know."

"_Where_ is it?" Dean asked after a brief pause.

"We don't know that either. I realize it's not much to go on, but-,"

"That's nothing to go on," Seamus said.

"It might have something to do with Ravenclaw," Harry continued. "It'll be small, easily concealed….Anyone have any ideas?"

"Well, there is Rowena Ravenclaw's lost diadem," I said.

"Bloody hell, here we go," Ron muttered.

"I told you about it, remember?" I pressed on. "Daddy's trying to recreate it." I looked around. "Hasn't anyone else heard of it? It's quite famous."

"Yes, but the lost diadem," Cho said gently, "is _lost_, Luna. It has been for centuries. There isn't a person alive who's seen it."

"Sorry, but what's a diadem?" Ron asked.

"It's like a tiara," Cho said. "There's a statue of Rowena Ravenclaw in our common room, Harry. She's wearing the tiara. I can take you there, if you'd like."

"No," Ginny said a little too forcefully. When everyone looked at her, she cleared her throat. "Luna will do it." She glanced at me. "Won't you?"

"Of course. I'd be happy to!" Neville looked as if he didn't want to let me out of his sight, but I gave him a reassuring smile.

"So how do we get out of here?" Harry asked.

"Over here," Neville answered, leading me and Harry to a small door on one side of the room. "It comes out somewhere different every day, so they've never been able to find it. The only trouble is that we never know exactly where we're going to end up when we go out. They're always patrolling the corridors at night, so be careful."

"We will," Harry said, turning to open the door, but Neville grabbed my arm.

"Stay safe," he whispered, kissing my forehead. "Promise?"

"Promise," I answered, grinning up at him before turning to Harry. "Let's go, then."

Harry turned the knob and we stepped out into the hallway. "Get under here," Harry said, pulling out his invisibility cloak and throwing it over us. He pulled out a map and began scanning it. "We're on the fifth floor. Which way to Ravenclaw Tower?"

"This way." I tugged on his sleeve and pulled him to the right. When we finally reached the staircase to the tower, I nudged him to the left. "Here we are. Up the stairs." We reached the top and came face to face with the familiar door that I hadn't seen in months. I reached out and used the brass knocker to knock once. The sound was all too loud in the silence.

"Which came first, the phoenix or the flame?" the eagle doorknocker asked calmly.

"Hmm, what do you think, Harry?" I asked.

"What? Isn't there just a password?"

"Oh no, you've got to answer a question," I said.

"What if you get it wrong?"

"Then you have to wait for somebody to come along and get it right. That's how you learn."

"Yeah, but the trouble is we can't really afford to wait for anyone else, Luna. We don't have a lot of time."

"I see what you mean," I answered seriously. I took a deep breath. "Well, then I think the answer is that a circle has no beginning."

"Well reasoned," said the doorknocker and the door swung open to reveal the Ravenclaw common room.

I sighed happily. "It's just as lovely as before I left."

"Well, I expect it would be," Harry muttered.

"Yes, well, there's the statue," I said, pointing across the room to the marble Rowena Ravenclaw statue.

We crossed the room together and when we reached the statue, Harry stepped out from under the cloak to take a closer look at the writing engraved at the bottom of the statue. "'Wit beyond measure is man's greatest treasure'," he read.

"Which makes you pretty skint, witless," said a cackling voice from behind us. I turned and backed up to stand behind Harry. Amycus Carrow was standing in the doorway and although I knew he couldn't see me, Harry was most definitely in trouble. I had to wonder if it was possible for him to get out of this one.

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><p><strong>AN: Just to answer a couple of questions I got...I kind of take bits and pieces from the books and the movies that I liked so there's a little of both in there. And no, Luna probably won't end up with Rolf. I definitely think Luna was always meant to be with Neville:)**

**Thanks for reading. Don't forget to leave a review!**


	34. Chapter 34

_"Living might mean taking chances, but they're worth taking."_

**-Lee Ann Womack (I Hope You Dance)**

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><p>I paced around the room as more and more members of the Order of the Phoenix and the D.A. continued to arrive.<p>

"Neville, stop pacing." Ginny grabbed my arm and pulled me to a stop.

"Luna and Harry aren't back yet."

"It's only been about ten minutes. It'll take them at least that long to get there. I'm pretty sure Harry has his invisibility cloak with him. I mean, he's basically the most wanted person for miles. He can hardly go walking around the school."

"True," I said. "The cloak will hide them."

"Hasn't failed yet," Ginny said. I could tell she was trying to be cheery, but it was still difficult.

"Neville!" I turned around at the sound of my name and saw Lupin maneuvering through the crowd towards me. "What exactly is going on?"

"I've called everyone back. Harry's here with Ron and Hermione!"

"Yes, you said that in your message. You also said we're fighting?"

"Yeah, well, I think we are. Harry went off with Luna to look at a statue in Ravenclaw tower-,"

"Why would he…?"

"He needs to look for something that might help to destroy You-Know-Who. It might be the diadem of Ravenclaw and he needs to know what it looks like. Hermione and Ron went off about five minutes ago to the Chamber of Secrets. They said something about needing basilisk fangs to destroy whatever item Harry has to find."

"Okay," Lupin said slowly. "I don't see where the fighting part comes in, though."

"Yeah, I haven't either. Not yet, anyway. I'm kind of just going along with it."

"Don't you think you should have waited to call us back, then?" Lupin asked. "If you're not sure if we're fighting or not…people are going to get annoyed if you have to turn them all away."

"Hopefully I won't have to then. If there doesn't end up being a fight, then we'll find something for everyone to do."

"My point is that the Order is busy doing other things right now and we don't have time to-,"

"Look, I think you're going to just have to trust me on this one, okay? No disrespect, but," I took a breath, "I had to take a chance and call you all back. Just in case there was a fight. We need as many people on our side as we can get."

Lupin nodded but didn't get to say anything else because at that moment Harry and Luna skidded down the stairs. Harry looked taken aback by the significant growth of people in the room, while Luna, on the other hand, didn't look shocked at all. She serenely made her way to stand by my side. I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her to me.

"Harry, what's going on?" Lupin asked.

"How did you all get here?" Harry responded, ignoring Lupin's question.

"Through the Hog's Head," Lupin answered. "We got Neville's message."

"I called everyone back," I said. "I had to. Just in case we were fighting. Are we?"

Harry hesitated. "You-Know Who is on his way here. McGonagall's barricading the school, but it will only hold up for so long. Everyone else is meeting in the Great Hall right now. Essentially, yes, that means we're fighting."

There was a deafening cheer that filled the room after Harry finished talking and everyone began to move at once towards the exit. I pulled Luna aside and cupped her face in my hands. Even though I had been prepared and almost aching to fight and to defeat Voldemort and his followers once and for all, the sudden reality of what we were doing had filled me with a sudden burst of fear.

"Neville, you look terrified," Luna said.

"I am," I answered.

"Don't give in to it. Don't listen to that voice inside your head. I know it's easier said than done, but you've done so well all year. We're almost done, Neville. We're almost there. We're almost at the end. Remember that."

I nodded, swallowing the lump of fear in my throat. "I love you," I managed to whisper. "Remember, you promised me a long time ago not to die." I managed a weak smile.

"I still promise," she said, leaning up to kiss me. "And the same goes for you. Stay out of the way of those killing curses."

I nodded, finding it difficult to speak, and kissed her again, praying that it wouldn't be the last time.

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><p>"Harry!" I yelled, running after the dark haired boy ahead of me. We were all just leaving the Great Hall and it seemed as if every hallway was mobbed with frantic students. Younger students were being evacuated and You-Know-Who was on his way. I had found it hard to even catch up to Harry once I had reassured Neville that I would be okay and insisting that I had to tell Harry something important. "Harry, wait! I'm trying to talk to you!"<p>

"I'm a bit preoccupied at the moment."

"You won't find anything where you're going! You're wasting your time!" I said, chasing Harry up a flight of stairs. I knew he was looking for that diadem and going back to Ravenclaw tower to examine the statue more, but that wouldn't do him any good.

"Look, we'll talk later, Luna, okay?"

"Harry!"

"Later!"

"Harry Potter! You listen to me right now!"

Harry froze where he was, a few steps ahead of me. He finally turned and looked at me, his mouth open and his eyes wide. It was one of the rare times where I had shouted. I hadn't wanted to, but I couldn't think of anything else to do to make him listen.

"Didn't you hear what Cho said about Rowena Ravenclaw's diadem?" I asked. "There's not a person alive who's seen it." When Harry just stared at me, I plowed on. "It's obvious, isn't it? We have to talk to someone who's dead."

"Dead?" Harry repeated.

"Yes," I answered.

"The Grey Lady?" Harry asked.

I nodded. "I can show you where she usually is."

Harry raced down the steps and grabbed my arm. "Let's go then," he said urgently.

"Alright, but slow down," I said as he pulled me down the rest of the steps. "It's as if there were Heliopaths after you."

"What about Death Eaters?" Harry asked.

"Yes, those work just as well." I continued to direct him down hallway after hallway until I finally told him to stop. "If you're to find her, you'll find her down there," I said, pointing.

"Aren't you coming?" Harry asked.

"No, I think it's best if you two talk alone. She's very shy."

"Okay, then. Well, thanks, Luna. I appreciate it, really."

I smiled and nodded before turning and heading back the way we had come. I had agreed to join the group of students going to the Astronomy tower as soon as I was finished helping Harry. Now all I had to do was find them before the Death Eaters got here.

* * *

><p>"Let me get this straight, Professor, you're really giving us permission to do this?" I asked, trying to keep up with my Transfiguration professor. I never knew she could walk so fast. Seamus was right behind me, still looking bemused and shocked at the words that had just come out of Professor McGonagall's mouth.<p>

"That is correct, Longbottom," she said, heading out the front doors and down the steps.

"Blow it up? Boom? I asked, following her.

"Boom!" she exclaimed.

"Wicked," I said breathlessly, "but how on earth are we going to do that?"

"Why don't you confer with Mr. Finnegan? As I recall, he has a particular proclivity for pyrotechnics."

"I can bring it down," Seamus said confidently.

"That's the spirit. Now, off you go." Professor McGonagall hastily shooed us away and the two of us didn't waste any time heading for the covered bridge.

"Got a plan?" I asked Seamus as we jogged towards our destination.

"Sort of," he said. "I'm going to head back inside and get some stuff I need. I want you to go stand on the bridge and be lookout."

"What if the Death Eaters get here before you can come back and get everything set up?"

Seamus shrugged. "Fight them off the best you can."

"Seamus, I can't fight off an army of Death Eaters on my own."

"You won't have to," he assured me. "It'll only take me a minute. I know exactly what I need to get and how to set it up. I'll recruit more people on the way. Just go keep watch."

"How do I let you know when they're coming if you're not back by then?"

"You don't," Seamus said, taking a sharp left. "See you in a few minutes!"

"Seamus!" He ignored me and kept running. I watched him go, feeling slightly panicked. Eventually, I turned and ran the rest of the way to the covered bridge. I made my way to the other end and paced back and forth across the width of the opening.

I began to wonder how Luna was doing. She had gone off after Harry the moment we were dismissed from the Great Hall. After she managed to talk to him, she was supposed to go with one of the groups Kingsley had put together. I had had half a mind to tell her to sit in the Room of Requirement, but I knew I couldn't stop her from fighting. It wouldn't be fair. So in the end, I had let her go.

I only waited for fifteen minutes on the covered bridge, but it seemed like an eternity. Seamus clearly understood that we were pressed for time because he didn't even come onto the covered bridge to tell me he was back. He just set straight to work. I only became aware that he had returned when I heard banging, thumps, and clanking coming from under me. Leaning over the edge, I saw Seamus and a bunch of other D.A. members, including Ginny, tying some sort of white, rock-like objects to the beams and wooden supports under the bridge.

"What are those?" I yelled down to him.

"I don't know," he yelled back. "All I know is I accidentally mistook them for a Potion ingredient back in first year. Turns out that these are highly explosive. I found out the hard way."

"I know. I was there. I sat next to you, remember? You set my sleeve on fire. I tried to avoid sitting next to you ever again."

"I know. And I tried to avoid sitting next to you after you melted your Cauldron."

I laughed. "So how do we get these to go off?"

"We're going to have to wait here for the Death Eaters to come. When they do, all we have to do is use our wands. It's simple, really. If I'm doing this right, they'll go off in sort of a domino effect. One right after the other so that we'll only have to use our wands once."

I nodded and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. It was then that I heard a tremendous amount of yelling from the trees. I turned to see a large group of people running towards the school and the bridge. I recognized Greyback and Scabior at the front of the group. Luna had told me they had been at Malfoy Manor. I could tell from her voice that although they hadn't tortured her, they had never been nice and it made me angry. I couldn't stand the thought that they had been rude to her and I hated that they were running towards the castle now to attack us and kill as many of us as possible.

I held up my wand, preparing to do something, anything when the group came closer. What I was planning to do, exactly, I had no idea. There were so many of them, I couldn't possibly stand a chance. Three members of the group pulled ahead of the others and ran through the protective barrier around the school. There was a sizzling noise before they seemed to vanish, disintegrate, even, before my very eyes.

"Hurry up with those explosives, Seamus," I hissed. "I don't know how much time we have left before they manage to get through the protective charms."

"I'm trying," he said through gritted teeth. I could hear his voice shake slightly.

"Well, try harder," I squeaked, looking up to find Scabior and Greyback sneering at me through the protective charms as they paced back and forth looking for even the smallest crack or weak spot in the barrier.

"Okay, I'm finished," Seamus said, his voice still shaky, but proud. "We'll meet you up on the bridge."

I nodded and prayed he'd hurry up. Even with the backup he had gotten, we still most likely wouldn't be able to take down the group standing across from me, but at least we'd have a better chance. We also had the explosives on our side now as well.

I was still waiting for Seamus and the others when I saw it. The protective shield was cracking and breaking away. Realizing what was going on, Scabior smirked and took one slow step towards me. Nothing happened. I stared at him with wide eyes for a few seconds, unable to move. It wasn't until he and every member of the large group behind him started running for me that my brain finally seemed to register that I needed to move. I turned and made a mad dash for the other end of the bridge.

Spells were being shot at me left and right and I was finding it so hard to think straight that I almost forgotten the reason why I was on the bridge in the first place. With a spell that was oddly well aimed considering I was terrified and running, I set off the explosives that Seamus had set up. They went off successfully, adding to the multiple flashes going off all around me.

I couldn't see much, but I could hear the bridge collapsing and the Snatchers still running and screaming behind me. All I kept chanting in my head was that I only had a little ways left until I was safe. I could see the other end of the bridge now. Seamus and Ginny were standing just beyond the edge of the wooden structure with the other students Seamus had recruited to help. A few feet from the end, I took a flying leap and just made it onto the grass before the bridge fully collapsed, bringing the group of Snatchers with it.

"Neville, are you okay?" Ginny asked, helping me up.

I rested my hands on my knees and looked up at her and a very pale Seamus. "Fine," I breathed out. Finally, I broke into a grin. "I'm perfectly fine."

Jogging back up to the castle after a victory, even if it was small, felt incredible, but it had also made me realize how dangerous this was going to be for all of us. I had been a few seconds from falling to my death right along with Scabior and the other Snatchers, but I had gotten so incredibly lucky.

I started running through the castle, knowing I had to find Luna. I had something important to say to her and I wanted to do it now before I possibly lost the opportunity forever. I ran up a staircase with Ginny at my side, and ran into Harry.

"Neville! Ginny!" Harry yelled, grabbing Ginny's arm. "Are you all right?"

"Never better! I feel like I could spit fire! Have you seen Luna anywhere?"

"Luna? No," Harry answered.

"I have to tell her something," I answered, jogging backwards and heading for another staircase. "I might as well tell her now since we'll probably both be dead by dawn."

Without waiting for an answer, I turned and ran up another staircase, frantically searching for Luna left and right. I needed to find her before something happened to either one of us. I nervously reached into my pocket and fiddled with what was supposed to be her birthday gift. I had planned to go home for the Christmas holiday, get the gift, and give it to Luna in February, but then she had been taken off the train. After discussing it with my Gran, I had managed to get the gift anyway. I had hoped Luna would be back by her birthday, but when she wasn't I began to wonder when I would be able to give her the gift. As time passed, I began to rethink the whole thing. It had been a stupid idea and too rushed. I had eventually decided to wait until another birthday or holiday, possibly years down the road, but now actually seemed like a perfect time. If we were going to die, I wasn't going to go until I had given her gift to her.

"Have you seen Luna?" I asked Cho Chang, grabbing her arm as she ran past me. I knew she had been part of the Astronomy tower group.

"The last time I saw her, she was a couple of hallways over!" Cho answered before running off again.

The castle was shaking with explosions and dust was falling from the ceiling. That could only mean that the Death Eaters were entering the castle. It wouldn't be long until we were in a full-fledged battle.

I skidded around a few more corners before I finally saw Luna standing in a small alcove of windows, looking outside. She wasn't running and she didn't look panicked. Instead, she looked oddly calm as she stared out at the grounds.

"Luna!" I said, my voice sounding loud in the hallway.

She turned and broke into a grin. "Neville!"

I reached her and grabbed her in my arms. "I'm glad you're okay." Suddenly something dawned on me. "Weren't you supposed to be on the Astronomy tower? I saw Cho running the other way as well."

"Oh, yes, we were up there, but the Death Eaters are entering the castle. We can't really aim spells at them anymore if they aren't outside."

"So you came here?" I asked, confused.

"Yes," she said. "I haven't been here very long. I just wanted to take a look."

"What's happening?" I asked, peering through the glass.

"Giants," Luna said, "and practically all of the spiders from the forest."

"I wonder if the thestrals are all right," I said quietly.

"I've been wondering the same thing," Luna said in a whisper.

"Look at us," I said, my voice equally as low. I turned back to her and rubbed a thumb over her cheek. "In the middle of a battle and worrying about thestrals."

"I was more worried about you," Luna said. "Until you got here of course. Did you blow up the bridge?"

The castle shook again and I instinctively pulled Luna close to me, shielding her from any falling debris. When she pulled away, I answered her question. "Yeah, it's gone and it took a bunch of Snatchers with it. Scabior and Greyback included."

Luna smiled. "Well done, Neville." She squeezed my hand. "I'm glad I got to see you before we start fighting."

"Luna," I said, my throat constricting. I swallowed and took both of her hands. "There's something I have to tell you. Well, ask you, really. I have something for you. I was planning on giving it to you on your birthday, but you were taken off the train and I never got the chance. Then I rethought the whole thing and was going to wait a while longer, but now that we're fighting, I don't think I should wait."

"Neville, you really don't have to-,"

"No, I do. If I die tonight, I want to have given it to you."

"You're not going to die, Neville." She said it calmly, but I could detect the slight fierceness in her tone.

"We don't know that," I said shakily.

"Neville," she protested, but I put a finger to her lips.

"I need to do this, okay?" She fell silent and nodded, so I took the opportunity to drop one of her hands and reach into my pocket. "If I don't make it through tonight, I want to go with the satisfaction of having asked you a question that for a long time I've known I was going to eventually ask you. I don't know if we're going to make it out alive, but if we do…." I trailed off as my hand closed around the small box. I pulled it out, opening it and dropping to one knee as I did so. "Luna, if we do make it out alive, will you marry me?"

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I debated about the ending of this chapter for _ages_. I didn't know whether or not I should do it, or _how _to do it if I decided to put it in. I'm actually quite happy with it and I hope everyone else is too.**

**Don't forget to leave a review!**


	35. Chapter 35

_"We are young, heartache to heartache we stand." _

**-Pat Benatar (Love Is A Battlefield)**

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><p>"Neville, where did you get this?" I managed to breathe out as I lightly touched the ring box.<p>

"It was my mother's. She doesn't wear it anymore because she kept taking it off and trying to give it to me. Gran thought she might try to give it to someone else eventually or accidentally lose it, so in the end she just took it and brought it home. When I went home over the Christmas holiday, I asked Gran for it. At first she didn't want to give it to me because she thinks we're too young to get married, but in the end she agreed."

I nodded and bit my lip. "It's beautiful."

"I know," Neville whispered. "So, will you? Marry me, that is." He wobbled slightly as the castle shook again and I reached out to steady him, pulling him to his feet as I did so.

"Yes," I said slowly.

"You will?" Neville asked.

"Yes, I will, Neville, but I want to finish school first."

"What?" He looked slightly surprised.

"When all of this is over, I want to go back to finish my last year and a half of school. By the time that's done and we actually get the wedding planned, I'll be at least twenty, so your Gran won't really have to worry about our age. That means everyone's happy, doesn't it?"

"Yes, I guess it does," Neville said.

"Don't you want to go back and take your NEWTS?" I asked.

"I haven't thought about it yet," he answered honestly.

"It wouldn't take that long. You'd only have to take a handful of classes before the exams since you were in school for the majority of the school year."

"I don't know if I want to think about that right now," he said. "Right now all I care about is that you said you'd marry me. It doesn't matter to me when we get married. I'll wait as long as you need me to."

I giggled and flung myself into his arms. He leaned down and kissed me before pulling away and taking my hand, sliding the ring on my finger.

"You know, Neville, I just thought of something," I said, holding out my hand and admiring the ring.

"What's that?" he asked. The castle shook again but the two of us barely noticed.

"You said your mother kept trying to take her ring off and give it to you. When did all this start?"

"Recently," Neville said. "Gran and I had no idea why it started so all of a sudden. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I just wondered—maybe it's silly-,"

"No, tell me," Neville whispered.

"Well, do you think your mum wanted you to have it? Do you think she wanted us to get married?"

"I never thought of that," Neville said, "but I don't think so, Luna. She's so out of it. She doesn't understand."

"I don't know," I said, shrugging. "I think she understands more than you think. She just can't express it like most people can. Your father, too."

Neville picked up my hand and examined the ring. "They're never going to be back to normal. They're never going to _fully_ understand that we're getting married. They won't be able to come to the wedding."

"Well in that case we'll have to take lots of pictures," I said decisively.

Neville laughed and brushed his hands down my arms. "Have I ever told you that I love you so much?"

"You might have," I said, pretending to think. "I can't exactly be sure, though."

"Well, I do. I love you."

"And I love you," I told him quietly. There was a loud explosion and the castle shook again—the biggest one yet. It was a jolt back to the terrible reality that we were in.

"We need to get back out there," Neville said, looking sadly down the hallway.

"Try not to look so excited," I told him.

"I'm still scared," he said honestly, "but at the same time I feel like I could take down every Death Eater single handedly."

"I'm sure you could."

"Oh, Luna, we both know that's not going to happen. I just feel like I could."

"Well why don't we get out there before you stop feeling that way?" I suggested.

"Okay," Neville nodded, letting out a breath. "Let's go."

* * *

><p>Neville and I had gotten separated almost as soon as we reached the second floor. The hallways were a mess and there were people, Death Eaters and destruction everywhere. It was almost impossible to see or breathe due to all of the dust. I wasn't sure how long it had been since we had joined the battle, but in all honesty, I didn't care. At this point I was desperately praying for it to end.<p>

I couldn't help but feel slightly proud of myself, though, as I ran through the castle, aiming spells at nearly every Death Eater that came into view. The D.A. had really been a huge help to me. I had learned so much and I was so grateful for it.

Actually, at that moment, I felt lucky to still be alive. There had been some close calls tonight. At one point, I had been backed into a corner by one of the Death Eaters. Dodging his spells was becoming more and more difficult and I didn't know how long I would be able to keep up the fight when Ernie Macmillan Stupefied the Death Eater from behind. I managed to escape with only a few scratches and burn marks on my arms from the Death Eater's spells.

I continued to run down the hallway and turned a corner, hoping to catch a glimpse of someone I know, and preferably alive and uninjured. I have to admit that when that thought initially went through my head, I was thinking of one of my friends or classmates. The person I bumped into was the last person on my mind, but only because I hadn't known where he was. Until now.

"Luna!" My dad sounded both thrilled and a little surprised to see me. "How are you?" He asked the question almost as if we had casually met on the street or as if I had just walked down for breakfast.

"Dad!" I giggled, throwing my arms around him. "You're okay! The last I heard, you were on the run."

"Oh, I was," he said, "but it wasn't as bad as you might think. I used the time to search for any unidentified creatures in the area. I am sorry to say that I didn't detect a single Crumple Horned Snorkack."

"How did you get here?" I asked, pulling out of the hug. "How did you know we were fighting? I didn't think you'd have a radio with you to get any information."

"I did, actually," my father said. "It was one of the things I made sure I took with me after the Death Eaters came. I had been listening to Potterwatch for quite some time and I wasn't about to stop for anything."

I grinned. "I'm glad you're here."

"So am I. I've been looking for you ever since I got here. I ran into Augusta Longbottom, too."

"Neville's grandmother? Does he know she's here?"

"I don't know. We saw each other in that fascinating room on the seventh floor. You know, the one at the end of the Hog's Head tunnel? After we left there, she went off to look for Neville and I went to find you. Anyway, I really wish we had more time, but I don't think it's best to stand in one spot for too long. There are Death Eaters everywhere. We have to keep our eyes open."

"Yes, you're right," I said as an explosion came from overhead, "but first there's something I have to tell you."

"Luna, I'll catch up with you later," he said quickly. "It's not safe to stay in one spot. We have to focus and we'll meet up with each other later. I promise."

"But dad, it'll only take a moment."

"Go, Luna, be careful and try not to panic. Panicking won't get you anywhere." He swiftly leaned down to kiss my forehead before hurrying in the opposite direction.

I tried calling after him, but it was no use. It was too loud. Giving up, I turned and ran down the hallway. A jet of red light passed directly over my head and I ducked around it. It was so dusty that I could barely see. I was almost a little afraid to start casting spells in case I hit somebody that I didn't want to hit.

I had almost made it to the end of the hallway when the window to my left shattered, having been hit by a curse. The glass rained down over my head and I put my arms up to protect myself but not before a few shards left cuts on my cheeks. Not to mention my hands were now bleeding from using them as a shield. It was no matter, though. It was better my hands than more cuts on my face.

Just as I was reaching the end of the hallway, a voice echoed throughout the castle and surrounding grounds. It was You-Know-Who's voice again. I wasn't sure if I even wanted to know what he was saying. I just felt impatient for him to spit it out so I could go back to what I was doing. I backed up against the wall and stared absentmindedly at the broken window across from me as I listened to Voldemort announce that he was ordering the Death Eaters to stop fighting for one hour and one hour only so that Harry could turn himself in. If he didn't the battle would begin once again.

After Voldemort finished talking, the castle seemed incredibly silent. I stayed where I was, backed against the wall for a few more minutes before picking my way over stones and fallen debris to the end of the hallway. I looked both ways and noticed students everywhere moving slowly around like ants, trying to find and help friends that were hurt or possibly dead.

I thought of Neville and my father and Neville's grandmother, too. They were all here as well as many other people that I loved and cared for. I hadn't seen any of them in quite some time, especially Neville, and I was worried. The last thing I wanted was to find anyone I knew to be hurt or dead.

I slowly made my way down the hallway, watching everybody else moving around as if I were in a dream. It wasn't until I saw a girl a little younger than me trying to drag herself down the hallway that I finally stopped. The girl's leg was badly bleeding and looked broken as well.

"Do you need help?" I asked, kneeling down beside her.

She looked up at me. Her eyes showed strong determination, but after a moment, she sighed. "Yes, I was trying to get to the great hall, but at this rate, it'll take me forever."

"Yes, it will," I agreed. "Come on, let me help you. We'll get you down there and someone will fix up your leg. Then, you'll be as good as new." I tried to sound as certain as I could. I mean, I _was_ certain that the girl would be okay. Her leg looked bad, but nothing life threatening. But the truth was that I was scared. This was actually worse than the time I had spent actually fighting. When I was fighting, my mind was occupied by what I needed to do. I was constantly focusing and staying alert. Now that the fighting was over for the time being, my mind had time to wander. The fact that many people were dead or injured could sink in.

"Your shoulder is bleeding terribly," the girl breathed out as I helped her stand. "Maybe you should get checked out as well."

I looked down at my shoulder. It was bleeding pretty badly. I wasn't even sure where that injury had come from. Too much had been going on to be sure. "It's not as bad as it looks," I said. "Now, lean on me and try to walk as best you can. I'll help you."

"How are you so calm?" the girl asked a few minutes later as we approached the front staircase.

"Calm?" I replied.

"Yes, you don't look the least bit nervous and you're talking to me so quietly…." She trailed off and shook her head, almost in amazement. "It's like you know everything will be okay."

"Everything _will_ be okay," I told her, "and I'm scared, too. This isn't easy for anyone. My boyfriend," _Fiancée, _I corrected in my head, "is around here somewhere, but I have no idea where. I'm hoping I'll run into him soon. We're supposed to get married in a few years, and in order to do that, I'll need him around."

The girl actually giggled, then winced. "I don't know if I can make it the rest of the way. We're on the front stairs, now. You can just leave me here."

"You're supposed to go into the Great Hall, so that's where we're going," I said determinedly.

"We're moving so slowly. You should go look for your boyfriend."

"I have time."

"We have an hour before the fighting starts again."

"It's only been ten minutes."

I could tell that the girl wanted to argue more, but she apparently couldn't think of anything else to say because she closed her mouth again, looking straight ahead. When I finally deposited her on a bench near the window and made sure that Madam Pomfrey had seen her, the girl looked up at me. "I do appreciate what you did, you know. It was really nice of you."

"It was no trouble. I liked talking with you. Feel better soon!" With a wave, I headed for the doors only to be stopped by Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Lovegood, you should stay in here and let Madam Pomfrey tend to your injuries."

"Oh, I'm not hurt that bad," I assured her. "I only have a few cuts here and there. Right now, I need to find Neville and also my father."

Professor McGonagall sighed and gave me a half smile. "I haven't seen your father, but Mr. Longbottom just passed me on his way out the front doors. He's helping Mr. Wood gather the dead and injured."

"Thank you," I said, grinning up at her. I headed out into the entrance hall and saw Neville coming inside with Oliver Wood. They were both carrying a lifeless body, although I couldn't see who it was just yet. Hesitantly, I stepped forward. "Neville? Do you need any help?"

He turned to look at me. "Luna," he said quietly. I could see him breathe a small sigh of relief, although he still looked extremely tired.

"I can take it from here, Neville," Oliver said quietly, glancing at the two of us. "You've done a lot already."

"Are you sure?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, I've got him." He shifted the boy completely into his arms and it was then that I saw who it was.

"He was in my year," I whispered, as Oliver carried Colin Creevey into the great hall.

"I know," Neville said, and I could see him from the corner of my eye, scanning my face intently.

"He hasn't had his birthday yet," I continued. "He isn't seventeen."

"I know," Neville said again. "He snuck back to fight."

"It's very unfair, isn't it?" I said, still staring into the great hall. "It's unfair that someone so brave and young had to be taken from us."

Neville nodded and moved closer to me, taking my hand. "Fred's gone, too, and Remus and Tonks."

My stomach twisted into a knot. "Oh, yes, I can see them now," I said quietly. I felt as if I was unraveling, for lack of a better word. I had worked so hard to keep my thoughts controlled throughout the night. I knew that death was going to be inevitable for a lot of people during this battle, but now that it had happened, I felt as if I didn't know what to do anymore.

"Come on," Neville whispered, tugging my hand. We slowly headed outside and stood at the top of the front steps. He must have sensed what I was feeling because he leaned in and shakily whispered, "The things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end. Isn't that right?"

I nodded. "If not always in the way we expect." The words calmed me a little and it made me think that everyone here was feeling the same way I was. I wasn't alone in feeling sad for everyone we had lost.

"You're hurt," he said, gesturing to my badly cut shoulder as well as the other cuts and scrapes all over my body.

"Yes, and so are you." I looked at the cut on his temple, still slowly dripping blood. "It was bound to happen, though. I would be shocked if either one of us had made it out unscathed."

"You're alive and that's really all I can ask for," Neville said quietly.

I nodded. "Yes, me too."

Neville looked down at my hand. "It looks like my mother's wedding ring made it through okay. Now that I think about it, it might have been a better idea to have put it back in the box until this was over."

"No, I'm glad you didn't. I've enjoyed wearing it. Anyway, I put a protective spell around it so that it wouldn't get damaged. That was the last thing I wanted since it's such a beautiful ring. I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if it had gotten ruined."

Neville smiled and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me in for a kiss. "You think of everything."

"Not everything, but a lot," I said with a small smile.

Neville smiled, but his expression became serious as he saw something over my shoulder. I turned and saw what he was looking at. Death Eaters were coming back out of the forest, but they weren't charging at the castle as if they were going to attack. Instead, they were walking slowly, Voldemort in the front and Hagrid to his left.

"Hagrid has something in his arms," I said quietly. "Do you think it's-?"

Before I could even finish my question, it was answered for me when Voldemort magically magnified his voice for the third time that night. "Harry Potter is dead! He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you lay down your lives for him. We bring you his body as proof that your hero is gone. The battle is won. You have lost half of your fighters. My Death Eaters outnumber you, and the Boy Who Lived is finished. There must be no more war. Anyone who continues to resist, man, woman, or child, will be slaughtered, as will every member of their family. Come out of the castle now, kneel before me, and you shall be spared. Your parents and children, your brothers and sisters will live and be forgiven, and you will join me in the new world we shall build together."

I tightened my grip on Neville's hand. It was over. Harry was dead and we had lost. I felt like a liar. I had spent months and months telling Neville that we would win and that everything would be okay and now it hadn't happened. I had let him down. Besides that, one of my closest friends was dead and Voldemort was still alive. Everything was going wrong and even I couldn't think of a positive aspect of any of it.


	36. Chapter 36

_"I cannot remember a moment in my life when I have not felt the love of my family. We were a family that would have killed for each other - and we still are." __-_**Richard Branson**

* * *

><p>The doors behind me were flung open with a bang and Neville and I were nearly trampled as people began to flood out all at once with Professor McGonagall at the front. Hermione, Ron and Ginny weren't too far behind her. Voices and screams could be heard throughout the gathering crowd. Neville grabbed my hand and pulled me off to the side.<p>

"Silence!" Voldemort waved his wand, forcing everyone's voices to die away as quickly as they had come. "It is over. Put him down, Hagrid, at my feet, where he belongs. You see? Harry Potter is dead. He was nothing, ever, but a boy who relied on others to sacrifice themselves for him!"

I glanced at Neville, who rolled his eyes and shook his head, looking furious. How could Voldemort think we'd ever believe him? We knew and understood Harry so much more than he ever could.

"He beat you!" Ron yelled, fighting against the charm keeping us all silent.

"He was killed," Voldemort yelled, "while trying to sneak out of the castle grounds. He was killed while trying to save himself!"

Suddenly, Neville dropped my hand and ran at Voldemort. I reached out to try and grab him, but I didn't move fast enough. Neville had reached the front of the crowd before Voldemort disarmed him, knocking his wand a few feet away. I started to move forward, but someone grabbed my arm. I turned and saw Dean standing behind me.

"Don't," he whispered. "It'll only make things worse."

"But Dean, Neville-,"

"Just wait and see what he's up to," Dean said calmly.

I looked at him for a second longer before turning around again.

"Who is this?" Voldemort laughed. "Who has volunteered to demonstrate what happens to those who continue to fight when the battle is lost?"

There was a loud, cackling laugh that I recognized at once as belonging to Bellatrix Lestrange. "It's Neville Longbottom! The son of the Aurors! He's the one who's been giving the Carrows so much trouble!"

"Ah, yes, I remember," Voldemort said softly. "But you are a pureblood, aren't you?"

"So what if I am?"

"You would make a very valuable Death Eater," Voldemort said. "We need your kind, Neville Longbottom."

"I'll join you when hell freezes over," Neville said. "Dumbledore's Army!"

I couldn't help but smile. I felt incredibly proud of Neville and also incredibly proud to call him my boyfriend. The boy standing up to the scariest, most evil wizard in the world was mine and no one else's.

"Very well." Voldemort grinned an evil grin that I didn't like one bit. "If that is your choice, Longbottom, we revert to the original plan. On your head be it." He flicked his wand.

For a moment, nothing happened, and then there was a whooshing sound. I looked up to see an old, worn, familiar object flying over the heads of the crowd. It was the Sorting Hat.

"There will be no more Sorting at Hogwarts," Voldemort said, shaking out the hat and turning it in his hands. He looked up and continued speaking. There will be no more Houses. The emblem, shield, and colors of my noble ancestor, Salazar Slytherin, will suffice for everyone. Won't they, Neville Longbottom?"

He pointed his wand at Neville and performed a silent body binding curse. Neville's arms and legs snapped together and I found myself trying to run forward again, but Dean stopped me. "There's nothing you can do," he whispered.

"There has to be something," I whispered back desperately. Dean just shook his head.

"Neville here is now going to demonstrate what happens to anyone foolish enough to continue to oppose me," said Voldemort. He placed the Sorting Hat on Neville's head, pulling it down over his eyes. Then Voldemort waved his wand yet again, causing the hat to burst into flames.

I ran for it at that point. Not away from Voldemort and Neville, but towards them. And this time, Dean didn't try to stop me because everyone gathered out in front of the castle had sprung into action at the exact same time.

It was taking me longer to get to Neville than I wanted because I had to dodge around people running in every direction. There were centaurs and spiders wandering around as well and a few times I narrowly avoided being crushed by the enormous foot of a giant. Finally, Neville came into view and I paused for a moment before continuing to run. I didn't know how I was going to help Neville, but I was going to no matter what.

Right before I reached him, something strange, yet amazing happened. Neville somehow broke free of the body bind curse and pulled the hat off of his head. As he did, he pulled out something long, silver and shiny: a sword. And not only _a_ sword; it was the sword of Gryffindor. The same one we had tried to steal all those months ago.

I froze where I was, forgetting about all of the chaos and only watching Neville as he swung the sword through the air and cut the head of Voldemort's snake clean off. I blinked my eyes a few times as Neville stood there, breathing heavily and looking down at the beheaded snake. It was as if everything had just stopped for a split second until Voldemort aimed his wand at Neville. I started to run again, my heart pounding in my chest. I was still too far away to cast a shield charm that would successfully separate Neville from Voldemort. I didn't think there was a way for me to get to him in time, but just when I was thinking the worst, someone else cast a shield charm and Neville fell backwards to the ground from the force of it.

As I ran, I heard Hagrid yelling about Harry being gone, but I barely took the time to think about how odd it was or what it meant. All I wanted to do right now was get to Neville and make sure he was okay.

"Neville," I said, kneeling down next to him. He was sitting up and staring down at the sword in his hands as if wondering how it had gotten there. He turned in his hands a few times.

"I don't know how I did it," he whispered. "How I fought off the body bind curse, I mean. And I don't know why the sword came out of the hat. I just don't understand."

"Neither do I," I whispered, "but you are okay, aren't you?"

Neville finally looked at me and smiled. "Never better."

"You killed the snake," I stated.

He nodded. "Yeah, Harry told me to. He said he needed it done in case he couldn't do it. Where did he go anyway?" He searched the ground in front of us.

I shrugged. "I don't know. He's missing."

"You think he could still be alive?"

"I don't know," I said quietly. "He looked pretty dead to me."

"Watch out!" Neville pushed me to the side and rolled on top of me to protect me from a group of centaurs galloping past. "I don't need you looking pretty dead too," he muttered, giving me a half smile. He stood and pulled me to my feet. "Come on, let's go."

The two of us started to head back inside the castle, fighting off anyone or anything that tried to get in our way. We finally reached the great hall and I couldn't help but notice that most of the battle seemed to have moved inside. In a few minutes, Neville and I were separated again and I found myself rushing to Ginny's aide as she dueled against Bellatrix Lestrange on her own. A moment later, Hermione had joined us as well. Even with the three of us sending every spell we knew her way, Bellatrix was just as powerful as all of us put together.

"How much longer can we keep this up?" I asked Ginny.

"As long as we have to," she answered.

"I know," I said, "but that's not what I asked. What I'm wondering is how long that'll actually be. She's almost too good for us."

No sooner had the words left my mouth than a killing curse sailed over our shoulders, narrowly missing our heads. It was so close that I felt my hair flutter. "Almost got a few dead ends there," I said, glancing at Ginny and trying to stay calm. The truth was that my heart was pounding. That had been _too_ close.

Ginny smirked but before she could reply, her mother came barreling in front of us out of nowhere, aiming her wand at Bellatrix. "Not my daughter, you bitch," she said, her voice low but somehow still loud and clear. Ginny tried to step forward to help, but she was gently knocked back by Mrs. Weasley. "Don't try to help, she's mine."

I tugged Ginny backwards and she, Hermione and I stood and watched. It seemed like the entire room had frozen to watch the two duels going on. Besides Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix, Voldemort was still dueling a couple of people at once, including Professor McGonagall. Just when the duel between Mrs. Weasley and Bellatrix started to get really intense, Mrs. Weasley shot a well-aimed curse right under Bellatrix's arm and it hit her right in the chest.

Things seemed to be moving in slow motion as Bellatrix's eyes widened a second before she fell lifelessly to the ground.

"Your mother," I whispered to Ginny, "just killed Bellatrix Lestrange."

"My mother," Ginny repeated, looking shocked as she watched Mrs. Weasley smirked, lowered her wand, and made her way back over to us.

I was still registering what happened and hardly noticed Voldemort letting out a cry of rage and blasting his dueling opponents aside before turning and heading straight for Mrs. Weasley.

"Protego!" A shield charm sprang up between the two of them. At the sound of the voice, everyone looked around to see where it had come from.

"Did that sound like-?" Ginny began.

"Harry?" I finished.

As Ginny nodded, I blinked and Harry was suddenly there in the middle of the room. He must have been using his cloak, but that didn't explain how he was alive.

Sounds of shocked gasps and similar reactions rippled through the crowd before silence fell once more.

"Nobody try and help me," Harry said, staring intently at Voldemort. "This is how it has to be."

Voldemort smirked and I could tell that he even though he was shocked and infuriated that Harry was alive, he still thought he was better and that he would win in the end.

I always knew that silence could be deafening, but right now the silence in the room was eerily loud. We all desperately wanted to figure out what was going on.

As it turns out, the wand Voldemort was using technically belong to Harry, who had disarmed Draco, who had disarmed Dumbledore, who had last owned the wand. It was all very confusing. Voldemort seemed to be confused as well, or maybe he just didn't believe it, because Harry had to explain how and why he had come to be the true owner of the Elder Wand. When he was finished, another eerie silence filled the room, just as the sun started to peek through the windows of the great hall. There was that feeling of nervous anticipation in the room that something big was about to happen soon, but nobody knew exactly when. It could be in seconds, or minutes. In this case, it was seconds.

"Avada Kedavra!"

"Expelliarmus!"

The words we said simultaneously and jets of light shot out of the wands of the people circling each other in the center of the room. They connected in the middle and the Elder wand flew from Voldemort's hand, straight towards Harry.

It felt like everything was moving in slow motion and I sucked in a breath as the wand continued to sail through the air. Harry reached up and closed his fingers around the wooden object just as Voldemort fell backwards, hit the floor, and didn't move. It was over and I breathed the first sigh of relief that I had in ages.


	37. Chapter 37

_"No wizard that there is or was is ever gonna bring me down." _**-Idina Menzel (Defying Gravity)**

* * *

><p>"I'd want some peace and quiet if I were you." I was passing by Harry who was sitting down at a table looking as if he were unsure of how exactly he had gotten there.<p>

"I'd love some," he said.

"Use your cloak. I'll distract everyone," I said quietly. Before he could respond, I pointed at the other side of the room and raised my voice slightly. "Oh, look, a Blibbering Humdinger." Everyone turned to look in the direction I was pointing and by the time I turned back around, Harry was gone.

"Luna, dear." I looked up to see my dad limping towards me, grinning happily. I sighed with relief. I hadn't seen him since I had bumped into him earlier. It was good to know that he was alive, although I didn't like the fact that he was limping.

"What happened?" I asked, gesturing to his leg.

"A centaur hit me with his arrow. I think I accidentally got in the way."

"Most likely," I nodded. "Don't you want to get it healed?"

"No, haven't I ever told you that centaur arrows are good luck?"

"No, you've never told me that."

"Well they are, and here is the proof!" He gestured around the room. "We've won!"

"Yes, I know," I answered quietly.

"You aren't saying much, Luna darling." My dad frowned slightly and put a hand on my shoulder. "Are you all right?"

I nodded. "Yes, just tired."

"Have you talked to Neville yet?"

I shook my head. "I haven't seen him since Harry was pretending to be dead. I've been looking for him, though."

"I believe he's sitting with his grandmother." My dad pointed across the room and when I turned to look, sure enough, Neville was there talking with his grandmother. "They look like they're having a very important talk," my dad continued.

I watched as Neville stared down at his hands. Then, he looked up and smiled as his Gran reached over and tentatively patted his cheek. He leaned over and hugged her. She looked surprised at first but eventually hugged him back.

"Dad," I said, turning back to my father. "Neville and I are-,"

"Getting married?"

"How did you know?"

"I noticed your ring," he said. "I noticed it when I saw you earlier, actually, but I didn't want to acknowledge it then and I didn't want you to tell me."

"Why not?"

He shrugged. "It wasn't really the greatest time or place. Besides, it gave me incentive to keep going. It gave me incentive to make sure I did everything I could to live so that I could hear the good news when this was all over. I figured that if we didn't win this war, hearing the good news would make me happy."

I grinned and threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly. He hugged me back and I sighed happily. "We're going to wait until I'm done with school, though," I said as I pulled away.

"Very good idea," my father nodded. "Did you come up with that?"

I nodded. "I did."

"That's my Luna," he smiled, patting my shoulder. He looked over my head and smiled wider. When I turned, Neville was standing behind me, watching us. The sword of Gryffindor was hanging by his side, the tip hitting the ground.

"Hello, Neville," I said, gesturing for him to come over. When he did, I wrapped an arm around him. He put his free arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head.

"Mr. Lovegood," Neville said, "how are you?"

"Wonderful," my dad beamed. "And it's Xeno, remember?"

"Of course."

"How are you?"

"Great," Neville answered with a grin.

"I heard the good news."

"You did?"

"He actually figured it out on his own. He saw this." I held up my hand and wiggled my ring finger back and forth so that the ring caught the light.

"Observant," Neville grinned.

"He's always been that way," I said. "Mum used to really admire that about him. She told me so."

"I hope it's okay with you that I asked Luna to marry me," Neville said.

"Of course it's okay. She told me your plan to wait until your schooling is finished."

"Well, Luna's going to go back to school. I'm not quite sure if I am just yet. He paused and glanced at me. "I was talking to Kingsley earlier. He's offering anyone who fought tonight a position as an Auror. No NEWTs necessary. He says that fighting tonight was way more of a skill and character test than the NEWTs could ever be."

"How wonderful! Are you going to take it?"

"I'm definitely considering taking it, at least for a little while," Neville answered. "After that I think I might want to become a Hogwarts professor."

"Herbology?" I asked.

"You got it," he answered, tapping my nose.

"Well, congratulations, Neville," my dad said, "and congratulations to the two of you. I'll be digging out my yellow dress robes before you know it."

I smiled and gave my dad one last hug before he walked off to talk to Neville's grandmother.

"You were having quite a serious talk with your Gran earlier," I said as Neville and I walked out of the great hall holding hands.

Neville nodded. "I told her I proposed and that you like my mum's ring. She's glad. She also said she's proud of me and that I really am my parents' son."

"You were incredible tonight," I said.

"I still don't know how I managed to pull this sword out of the hat, though." Neville looked down at it, frustrated.

"I don't have the answer to that either, but I think I know who will."

"Who?" Neville asked as I began to drag him through the half destroyed castle.

"Dumbledore!" I answered.

"Dumbledore? Luna but he-,"

"He has a portrait hanging in his office!" When we finally reached our destination, the two stone gargoyles that usually guarded the entrance were lying on the ground. "May we go up?"

"I'm not going to stop you," one of the gargoyles said feebly.

I turned to smile at Neville before leading him up the stairs. Harry, Ron and Hermione were just coming out of the office. "Hello," I said, smiling.

"Hi," Harry said as Ron and Hermione nodded in greeting. The five of us stood there for a moment, looking at each other. I can't say for sure, but I'm almost positive that the same thing was going through our minds. We had been through so much together in the past two and a half years. If only Ginny were standing with us now. We were the six people who would always know what it meant to be a part of Dumbledore's Army and the six people that it had meant the most to.

"You all right Harry?" Neville asked.

Harry nodded. "You?"

Neville nodded. "You were brilliant tonight."

"So were you." Harry nodded towards the sword.

"I did what you asked and killed the snake."

"I know. Thanks."

"We were wondering why Neville was able to pull the sword out of the hat. That's why we came up here. We thought Dumbledore might know." I shrugged and looked towards the office door.

"He does," Harry answered. "He told me once."

"What did he say?" Neville asked.

"He said only a true Gryffindor could have pulled it out of the hat."

Neville was silence as he processed what Harry had told him. He turned the sword back and forth as the light reflected off of it. "A true Gryffindor?" he finally asked.

"That's what he said," Harry answered. He smiled and patted Neville on the back before heading down the stairs, Ron and Hermione at his heels.

I turned to face Neville. "A true Gryffindor," I said quietly. "See? You belong in that house, Neville. This is proof that the Sorting Hat put you there for a reason. What you did tonight? That's the reason. You're so brave, Neville. It just took you a few years to realize just how brave you are."

"You knew it all along," Neville said quietly. "How is it that you knew me better than I knew myself?"

I didn't answer right away. Finally, I looked up at him. "I think I just saw what other people didn't and what you couldn't."

"You're oddly good at that," he muttered.

"Thank you," I said and he laughed.

"What are you going to do with the sword?" I asked. "Use it to kill more snakes? Frame it and put it on your bedroom wall?"

"I think I'm going to put it back where it belongs," Neville said, glancing towards the door to Dumbledore's office. "Unless you'd like to use it to catch a Crumple Horned Snorkack, of course." He smirked at me.

"No," I said, shaking my head. "Everyone knows you can't use a sword on a Crumple Horned Snorkack. You'll never catch it that way."

"I don't think everyone knows that," Neville said.

I shrugged. "It's common sense, really."

Neville smiled and shook his head. "So back into Dumbledore's office it is."

"I was hoping you'd want to do that."

Neville smiled and picked up my hand again. I stood next to him as he cleaned off the sword and slipped it back into the case that we had taken it from at the beginning of the year. When I looked up, I saw Dumbledore's portrait smiling at us.

"Back where it belongs," I said to the painting. Dumbledore nodded in agreement.

"There isn't another place I could even consider putting it," Neville added. "It belongs in the headmaster's office no matter who the headmaster is."

"I couldn't agree more," Dumbledore said. "Although, I did think it looked even better with the blood on it. More frightening."

"Oh," Neville responded, looking slightly guilty now for having cleaned off the sword. "Well, with all due respect, sir, I don't want to kill any more snakes."

Dumbledore chuckled. "And I don't want you to have to. Nagini was good enough."

Neville nodded and put an arm around my shoulders. We both looked at the sword in silence. "Are you sure you don't want to take it and use it on a Crumple Horned Snorkack?" Neville teased.

Dumbledore chucked again. "Of course she doesn't, my dear boy. Everyone knows you can't use a sword on a Crumple Horned Snorkack."

Neville blinked wordlessly at the portrait as I smiled. "That's right," I agreed. "Come on, Neville. Goodbye, Professor."

"Goodbye Miss Lovegood, Mr. Longbottom."

Smiling, I took Neville's hand and led him from the room.


	38. Chapter 38

"_Everyone wants to be the sun that lights up your life. But I'd rather be the moon so I can shine on you during your darkest hour when the sun isn't around."_ **–Unknown**

* * *

><p>I've never been one to have trouble sleeping, but tonight it seemed that all I was doing was tossing and turning. It had been three years, one month, and twenty eight days since the war ended and tomorrow I was finally marrying Neville Longbottom.<p>

My inability to fall asleep wasn't due to nerves. At least not really. I was more excited than nervous, although I was a little jittery, but that was normal. Besides that, I was thinking of a million things at once. I was going to be married tomorrow. Tonight was the last night in my house; the house I had lived in all my life. In less than twenty four hours I would have a new family member, a new house, and a new last name.

I wasn't feeling overwhelmed, but it felt strange knowing that so many things would be changing tomorrow and the constant thoughts were keeping me awake. Whenever I couldn't sleep at Hogwarts, I would sit by the window in Ravenclaw tower, or I'd sneak to the Owlery or the clock tower. At home I either went down to the pond behind my house or sat at my window seat. Tonight, though, I didn't feel like doing either. Instead, I crawled out of bed and pulled on some clothes before tiptoeing out the front door and Apparating to London.

I made my way down the street and even though it was deserted, I still looked both ways before entering St. Mungo's. The lobby was as empty and silent as the street outside and my footsteps echoed throughout the room. I made my way to the fourth floor and hurried towards the double doors of the ward I needed to get to.

"Excuse me, what are you doing in here?"

I whirled around to see a Healer sticking her head out from an office at the other end of the hallway.

"Visiting," I said.

"Visiting hours are long over," she said. "Surely you knew that. It's nearly one in the morning."

I sighed. I had been hoping to get in unnoticed so that I would avoid this issue. "I know, but it's just that, well, I'm getting married tomorrow, you see, and my fiancée's parents are in this ward. Both of them. I was hoping to talk to them before tomorrow."

"You would have had to come during visiting hours. I'm sorry, but-,"

"I couldn't sleep," I persisted. "I needed to talk to them. Nobody thinks they understand, but I like to talk to them anyway. Just in case they do."

"Are you talking about Alice and Frank Longbottom?"

I nodded. "Yes."

"Honey," the Healer said sympathetically, "it's true. They _don't_ understand. We've been monitoring them for years."

"Please," I whispered. I had never been one to ask others to bend the rules for me. If someone said no then I accepted the answer knowing that they had a good reason for giving it. But this time, I needed to get into that ward.

The Healer paused and then sighed. She came out of her office and headed towards me, gently jangling a ring of keys. "We keep the doors locked at night," she explained with a tiny smile, "so your efforts to go in unnoticed wouldn't have really worked."

"No, I suppose not. I didn't think of the doors being locked. I should have."

She unlocked the door and pushed it open, holding it in place for me to go through. "They do like visitors," she said quietly. "That much they've made clear."

I smiled, nodded and headed into the ward, hearing the door quietly click shut behind me. When I finally reached the end of the ward, I silently slipped behind the curtain that separated Frank and Alice Longbottom from the other patients. They were both sleeping soundly and just as I was thinking that it would be best for me to perhaps write a note or a drawing or something to let them know I had been there, Alice's eyes fluttered open.

"Hello," I whispered, sitting down on the chair next to her bed. She looked at me groggily, her eyes vacant. I swallowed. I had never been here on my own before. I had always been with Neville or his Gran, or both. "You remember me, don't you?"

Alice reached across to her bedside table and rummaged around in the drawer before pulling out the picture of me and Neville that we had given to her a few years ago. She held it up to the side of my face as if comparing the real me to the picture.

"Yes, that's me. Me and Neville. We're getting married tomorrow. I can't believe it's already here. We both wish you could be there, of course. You and Mr. Longbottom. I couldn't sleep. That's why I'm here. I just have so much running through my head. I'm not nervous though. I'm really excited. I really love Neville and I've been looking forward to marrying him ever since he asked."

I was going on and on, but I didn't mind. I really felt as if Mrs. Longbottom somehow knew what I was talking about. My breath nearly caught in my throat as she reached over and lightly touched my ring—well, originally her ring—with her index finger.

"Yes, this was yours. Neville said you kept trying to give it to him. Did you want him to give it to me? Is that why you did it?" I wasn't expecting a reaction, which was why I was all the more surprised when Mrs. Longbottom closed her hand around mine and smiled at me excitedly. The feeling that she understood was even stronger than it had been when I got here.

"Neville's Gran showed us pictures from her wedding day and from yours as well," I continued. "You really looked beautiful. I wish I could look half as beautiful as you did."

Mrs. Longbottom turned to her bedside table and began rummaging through it again. Eventually she turned back to me and held up a bracelet. It was made of dried out macaroni, like one of those art projects little kids make. I had made a few myself when I was younger. I assumed that perhaps the hospital had had the patients make them as an activity and didn't think much else of it.

"For me?" I asked as she pressed it into my hand. "Thank you. I'll be sure to return it after the wedding. You know, I did need something borrowed after all. I have something new, which is my wedding dress, and my dad said that he has something old and blue to give me tomorrow, but I didn't have anything borrowed."

Mrs. Longbottom looked pleased with herself and I laughed. "Neville and I are going on our honeymoon to Paris and then to Sweden. We decided on Paris together, but then Neville insisted we go to Sweden so that he could come with me while I searched for a Crumple Horned Snorkack. I told him I didn't want to do any work on our honeymoon. I mean, since I'm a naturalist now, looking for rare creatures is part of my job now, but he wanted to go there. He said he'll really believe they exist when he sees one. I think he's still a bit skeptical and maybe he has a point, but he's sweet for being so accepting of what I like to do. And he's really—," I stopped short when I realized Mrs. Longbottom had fallen asleep, the photo of me and Neville tucked under her pillow.

Smiling, I stood up and pulled the covers over her. It was then that I noticed a second photo sticking out from under the other side of her pillow. I was curious, so I slowly slipped it out so I could see it better. My heart nearly stopped when I saw that it was a picture of Alice and Frank on their wedding day. It was like she really had known. I wiped a few tears off my cheeks, put the picture back where I had found it and left the ward, but not before turning and blowing a kiss in the direction of Neville's parents.

I didn't run into the Healer again as I left the hospital. I didn't run into anyone at all on the streets and my father was still sleeping soundly when I returned home. Everything was silent as I climbed up the stairs to my room and crawled into bed. This time, I fell straight to sleep, Mrs. Longbottom's bracelet around my wrist.

* * *

><p>The sound of cheerful humming woke me up before I saw a bright light through my eyelids. When I opened my eyes, I saw my father in my room, humming merrily and pushing open my curtains.<p>

"Good morning, Luna darling! I have a nice healthy breakfast downstairs waiting for you."

"You're excited," I observed, sitting up.

"My daughter's getting married today!" He grabbed my hands and pulled me to my feet, grinning from ear to ear. His excitement was infectious because I found myself giggling.

"Aren't father's supposed to be having mixed feelings about their daughter's getting married? Aren't you supposed to be feeling somewhat sad that I'm growing up and leaving you?"

"Is that what I'm supposed to do?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I think so. I think it's what everyone else does."

"Well, when have I ever really done what everyone else does? I'm happy for you. I want you to marry Neville and I know you're not really leaving me. You're still my daughter no matter what. Besides, I like Neville. If I didn't like him, well, then that would be another story."

"I'm glad I have your approval, then," I teased.

He smiled down at me. "Go on downstairs and eat your breakfast before it gets cold. Ginny will be over soon to help you get ready."

I nodded and hurried down the stairs to do as he said. No sooner had I finished eating than Ginny arrived. She was my Maid of Honor. I only had one other bridesmaid and that was Hermione, who would be coming over later so that she, Ginny, my father and I could head to the wedding venue together.

"Your hair," Ginny said once we were sitting up in my room.

"What about it?"

"What do you want me to do with it? Your father gave me this." She held up a bright yellow daisy.

"Oh, well, yes, you can do whatever you'd like with my hair. Just as long as the flower goes in it. It's good luck after all."

"I know," Ginny answered as she set to work. She settled on leaving my hair down and curly, but pinning a few side strands in the back of my head and putting the daisy there. It was simple, but very pretty; just the way I liked it.

"Thank you, Ginny," I said, admiring my hair in the mirror before heading to my closet to get my wedding dress.

"Beautiful," Ginny said after I put it on. She circled around me, adjusting the skirt here and there. Her eyes fell on my wrist and she saw the macaroni bracelet. "What's that?"

"It's my something borrowed."

"Who'd you borrow that from? A five year old?"

"No, I borrowed this from Neville's mum."

"What?" Ginny looked surprised and also sorry that she had been so blunt in asking about the bracelet.

"Yes, I snuck over to St. Mungo's last night. I wanted to talk to them. I couldn't sleep and I thought it would be comforting. She gave me this, but I told her I would return it."

Ginny nodded and went on fixing my dress. There was a knock on the door and my dad stuck his head in. "Oh, Luna, you look wonderful. You look just like your mother."

"Thank you. That's a lovely compliment."

"I think you would look even more like your mother if you had this." He pulled a gorgeous sapphire necklace from behind his back and held it out to me. I gasped and lightly touched the sapphire, oval shaped pendant.

"This was hers?" I asked.

He nodded. "She loved it. It was her favorite piece of jewelry, maybe her favorite possession, actually, and she always said she wanted you to have it one day."

"Where did she get it?"

"I gave it to her," my dad said. "It was a birthday gift."

"Are you sure _you're_ okay with me having it?"

"Of course. Otherwise, it'll just be wasted. I know I certainly won't wear it."

"This is the something old and something blue you promised me," I said as he clasped the necklace around my neck.

"It is. Two things in one."

"I love it," I said, turning to hug my dad.

"It's lovely, Luna," Ginny said quietly. "It really is."

"Are you about ready?" my dad asked.

I turned back to the mirror and nodded. "Hermione should be here soon. Once she gets here we can leave."

"Wonderful," my dad said, heading for the door.

* * *

><p>"Oh, the decorations are just perfect!" I exclaimed, looking around me. A cluster of chairs and a long white aisle had been set up in front of an archway of yellow and white daisies, which was situated in front of Greenhouse 3, where Neville and I had shared our first kiss. There were yellow and white flower arrangements set up in the area as well and the aisle was littered with yellow flower petals. It all looked fantastic and best of all, the sun was shining and the weather was perfect. I couldn't ask for anything more.<p>

"Is Neville here yet?" Ginny asked.

"He should be," I answered.

"Well, come on." Ginny dragged me away from the greenhouse and around the corner. This was where I'd be entering from to walk down the aisle.

"Ginny, there's no rush," Hermione said, attempting to jog behind us and keep her heels from sinking into the ground at the same time.

"There is because if Neville's going to be standing at the end of that aisle soon, we can't have him seeing Luna yet. He can't see her until she is walking down that aisle."

"You're incredibly adamant on that, aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Ginny insisted. "Luna doesn't mind."

"No, I don't. It's a lucky wedding tradition anyway."

"We're almost ready!" My dad came skidding around the corner, looking slightly frazzled.

"Nervous now?" I asked.

"No," he insisted, fixing his bright yellow dress robes. He ushered Ginny and Hermione into position before holding out his arm to me. "Neville's waiting for you," he said with a grin.

"Is he?" My stomach flipped with anticipation.

My dad nodded. "_He's_ the one you should be asking about nerves."

"How bad?" I giggled.

"He had his shoes on the wrong feet and hadn't even noticed until I said something!"

"He must be really nervous then. How did he even manage to get his feet into the wrong shoes?"

My dad shrugged. "How should I know?"

I giggled as the music started up. The guests waiting in their chairs fell silent as first Ginny, then Hermione headed off down the aisle.

"Your mother would have loved to be here," my dad said. "She loved weddings. _Loved _them. Being at your wedding would have made her incredibly happy."

"It would have made me happy, too," I whispered.

"But don't worry," my dad said. "She's here. Perhaps not physically, but she's here."

"She is," I agreed, lightly touching my necklace.

When my dad led me around the corner and down the aisle, I barely noticed a single guest or decoration. If I hadn't seen them earlier, I wouldn't have known they were there at all. All I saw was the man waiting at the other end of the aisle just for me. He was wearing an expression of sheer nervousness, but he was also expressions of joy, excitement, happiness and love.

When I reached the end of the aisle, I kissed my father on the cheek and stepped up to Neville's side. He took my hand and smiled at me. I saw him glance down and notice the macaroni bracelet. Another expression flickered across his face, but it happened so fast that I couldn't tell what it was. Before I could say anything, the ceremony began.

* * *

><p>"I married the most beautiful girl in the world," Neville said. We were at our wedding reception in the great hall of Hogwarts, dancing to our first dance as husband and wife. "Did you know that?"<p>

"No, I didn't," I answered, "because the last time I checked, you married me."

"Want to know a secret?"

"I'd love to."

"It's the same person," he whispered.

I laughed. "How nice of you."

"Luna," Neville said, suddenly serious, "where did you get that macaroni bracelet?"

"I went to visit your parents last night," I said.

"By yourself?"

I nodded. "I was too excited to sleep so I went to visit. Just to talk, you know. I wasn't really expecting anything, but I just wanted to talk to someone. Anyway, your mother knew who I was and she remembered giving you the ring. I think I was right about her wanting you to give it to me."

"Because she _said_ all of this to you?" Neville asked.

"Neville, no, but it's all in her actions. I can feel it. She doesn't understand everything, but she understands more than you think. She was sleeping with one of her wedding pictures under her pillow! I don't think that's a coincidence."

Neville's expression softened. "She had a wedding picture under her pillow?"

I nodded. "She did."

"Wow," he whispered. "She's never done that before." He cleared his throat. "So when does this bracelet come in?"

"She gave it to me. I told her I'd return it since it is hers. I figured maybe she made it during one of the hospital activities."

Neville shook his head. "She didn't."

"She didn't," I repeated.

"No," Neville whispered.

"Then where did she get it?"

"I made her that bracelet when I was four. It was a Christmas gift. I still didn't quite understand what was wrong with her and dad back then and I remember wanting to give them something. I was into macaroni artwork back then and I gave dad a macaroni picture frame. Gran said I was wasting perfectly good macaroni, but I didn't care. Anyway, I haven't seen the frame since, so I assumed I would never see the bracelet again either. I assumed they were both gone for good. You know, considered junk and thrown out or maybe just lost."

I didn't know what to say, so I just continued to watch Neville.

"Maybe you're right," he said. "Maybe they do somewhat understand."

"I know I'm not one to say if they do or don't, but I really think they do, Neville. I wouldn't say it if I didn't believe it."

"I know," he whispered as he leaned down to kiss me, spinning me around as he did so. It was the happiest day of my life. I felt surrounded by family, friends and people who cared for me, even the people who couldn't physically be with us. At that very moment, I had no idea whether or not I would ever find a Blibbering Humdinger or a Crumple Horned Snorkack, but I had found the people that I belonged with and that was the most valuable thing of all.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Well, this is the last chapter. Thank you so much to everyone who has stuck with me throughout this story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed, added the story to their alerts or favorites, or just continued to read it. I had so much fun writing it and I hope you all enjoyed reading it. :)**


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